


Suffering Fools

by Five_seas



Series: Nobody Asked For This, I Wrote It Anyway [1]
Category: Shaman King (Anime & Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Ghosts, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Magic, Workplace Romance, nobody asked for this, smokeshipping, weird pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:36:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 96,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22218586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Five_seas/pseuds/Five_seas
Summary: The crossover nobody asked for but me.Shaman King meets Yu Gi OhShe didn't see herself as joining an internship programme at Kaiba Corp, but Sharona needed the money. An interesting job, forgiving admissions, and generous eye candy at the office are a welcome add-on, even without health benefits. All she really has to do is hide the fact that she can see ghosts from her co-workers... and her boss.A series of poor investments have turned into a tricky problem for Kaiba. The tech he's developing has the potential to solve everything, but engineering is proving difficult. That is, until one of the new interns gets put on the project. Intrigued by her smarts and weary of her perceptiveness, Kaiba isn't sure if he wants this woman out of his company, or in his bed. Either way, he's got a few short months to decide.Cannon has gone out the window here, folks.
Series: Nobody Asked For This, I Wrote It Anyway [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668346
Comments: 23
Kudos: 11





	1. Orientation

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Yu Gi Oh or Shaman King.
> 
> Just an imagination, and I'm not even sure about that.
> 
> ***
> 
> So, real talk, when I watched cartoons as a teenager, these two shows were running back to back on television, so I naturally started to mix the characters from the two together in my imaginings. For some reason, Sharona struck me as exactly the type to get under Kaiba's skin, and I finally decided I wanted to play with that dynamic more.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little experiment. I sure do, so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> For the sake of my own sanity, the ages and timelines have been tweaked a bit in this series. I hope nobody minds.

The inside of Kaiba Corp’s main building reminded her of a hospital. The air smelled of antiseptic and everyone - from the technicians to the most senior engineers - was wearing a lab coat or a jumpsuit, as if they were about to get elbow deep in brain matter instead of grease fumes and wires. Worse was the miasma of stress and anxiety that seemed to permeate the very air they were breathing. She almost expected to see the ghosts of employees of years past, desperately trying to warn off any new employees.

Not that it would have worked on her. Even if she could see them, Sharona still needed to get paid.

“Welcome to Kaiba Corp’s Inaugural Internship Programme,” a HR rep, plucked and preened within an inch of his life, said to the assembled group. He was holding a stack of envelopes and seemed ridiculously pleased with the part. “If you have made it so far, I needn’t tell you what a great achievement this is. Out of thousands of applicants, it was you who were hand-picked to join our family.”

“Is he for real?” a young man on her right murmured. She turned, then, realizing they weren’t talking to her, fixed her eyes at the HR podium again. 

No need to make friends just yet. 

In truth, the tests that she’d had to do in the first stage of the application were hard enough - not just the standard numerical and logic reasoning lot, but complex questions about physics and electrical engineering that were set to a strict time limit. Then - an original project idea based on a strict set of parameters that seemed designed to piss her off with how restrictive it was. And then there was the personal essay, entitled: Why can’t Kaiba Corp live without me? Because… of course they’d ask for something like that.

She had completed everything, though, and much to the chagrin of her friends. It hadn’t been her real concern.

She was far more worried about the results of her background check. 

“Now,” the HR rep was saying, brandishing his envelopes, “You know that the program does not guarantee a job at the end. In fact, we do not guarantee that you will even complete it. But if you work hard and persevere, then you too might have a chance to work with Mr Kaiba as he changes the entertainment industry forever.”

“Definitely not for real,” the young man said again.

“You sure this isn’t a cult?” his friend asked.

Sharona bit her lip, stifling a laugh.

In truth, it did look like the whole of Kaiba Corp was a little bit in love with its owner. The official press blurb certainly made him sound impressive - a super-genius who had staged a hostile takeover of his father’s company before he was able to shave. Slightly unreal, and barely a step up from “the Supreme Leader of our own Gaming Community”, but… well… she’d seen the photographs. She couldn’t blame the rest of the employees for being smitten.

What mattered to her was that the internship program was willing to accept someone with no ties, a spotty academic record, and… less than conventional skills. For a salaried job, it was a minor miracle. 

“—in your welcome pack. You will also find enclosed your team assignation, your daily schedule, and the conditions you will have to meet to stay on board.”

“Will one of those conditions be sucking the CEO’s dick?”

Sharona gasped and turned again. Snark was one thing - who could be so rude? 

Then she got a good look at the two young men in question… or rather, she realized they were floating several inches off the floor, and their bottom halves were… distinctly not there. 

Some of the living interns gave her funny looks, and she pretended sniffle and rub her eyes. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Allergies.”

The HR rep carried on talking, ignoring her, and the rest of her fellow interns followed suit.

Yeah… she was glad that she’d kept the whole “seeing dead people” off her resume, too.

***

High above the world, Seto Kaiba was in hell.

Staring at the group of accountants and accounting consultants - why had they convinced him he’d need so many? - he imagined setting them on fire with his mind to keep his voice under control. “So, explain to me again… how exactly did we come to a situation where we began work on a theme park without a planning permission?”

The head fool started babbling something about paperwork being previously in order and land rebates. Seto listened for all of thirty seconds before deciding that the man was wasting his time. 

He knew how they’d gotten in this situation - he had let someone else work unsupervised. And this was the result.

Despite the trials and tribulations of his company, he’d been hopeful about the future. The last of his adopted father’s legacy was gone. He had managed to regain some of the trust that had been lost in his company. He’d even gotten some of his own self-respect back after being defeated at his own game, again and again. After all, he hadn’t been duelling against one person when he faced off against Yugi Mutu - he’d been facing at least two. That, at least, he could admit was cheating, even if it was just himself that he was trying to convince.

And now this.

“Enough,” he said, interrupting the head honcho. He turned to the most junior of the lot, hoping that he wouldn’t embellish the facts. “Just how much is damage control going to be?”

The boy blushed as he murmured a price. About what Seto had expected, which was too much indeed. 

Even though he knew the answer, he still asked what the projections were for the next financial year.

“Well…” the head honcho started, then froze when Seto shot him a blistering look.

The junior accountant made a noise like a squished mouse. “Sir… if we may be so bold to say… you need to create some fantastic technology for this new park, otherwise we don’t see people attending.”

Seto smirked. He knew it didn’t reach his eyes. “We don’t deliver mediocrity here,” he said. “You’re all dismissed.”

Once they filed out of the room, he allowed himself one minute - one - to just sit there with his eyes closed, sifting through his emotions and compartmentalizing them appropriately. Once he was sure he could behave like a rational being again, he stood up and walked briskly toward Engineering, calling for his assistant to cancel the rest of his meetings for the day.

This could not wait.

***

Once the lecture was done, they started to hand out the individual packs and take their pictures for the employee ID cards. Vitriano, Wajcman, Waller… “Ward, Sharona,” the HR guy said, and then looked at her. “How’s the allergy?”

She coughed and made a show of dabbing her nose. “It waxes and wanes. I forgot my antihistamines today.”

“We have an excellent health benefit,” he started, then blushed. “Er… for full employees only, unfortunately.”

Of course they did. What were they - a damn charity? 

She arranged her features into a happy, stupid smile. He hadn’t made the rules - he didn’t deserve to suffer. “All the more reason for me to work hard,” she said, cheerfully, and took the envelope from him.

The rep kept blushing. “Erm… if you need me… I mean, if you need anything else… my number is in the company directory, call me any time.”

Oh, he really was out of his depth. “Will do,” she said cheerfully, then headed to the photography queue. The person who had gone before her - Lindsey Waller, a gawky girl who looked like she was wearing her mother’s clothes - gave her a quick once over, but didn’t return her greeting. 

Sharona sighed. _ This old shit, again. _ She’d hoped that this job would be an opportunity to start over again, but clearly her new colleagues could smell the weird on her, too. Without anything to do but wait, she thumbed through the welcome pack to study the information therein.

Blah-blah-blah, corporate party line. Blah-blah, if you do not meet the employee code of conduct, expect to be escorted off the premises. Blah-blah-blah, may the odds be ever in your favor. Her brows raised when she got to the page of remuneration and the signing bonus that was offered to interns who successfully graduated from the program, but quickly tempered her hope when she read the attached conditions.

Yeah. There was no way she was going to achieve that.

But even if she wasn’t given a full-time job, the internship ran for half a year. For every month she lasted, there would be a little more going toward her debt. Half a year in Kaiba corp would pay better wages than ten in the flower shop. 

And it was a real thing. It was legit. Hell, she’d even been assigned to the department that she’d wanted to be in. To complain would be beyond ungrateful.

“Alright, lovely, here you go,” the photographer said, putting her freshly printed ID on a lanyard and handing it over. “Floor 3, North Section, Engineering. Your mentor will be expecting you.”

Sharona thanked her and then headed for the elevators. The rest of the recruits had already piled in. She picked up her pace, but they either didn’t see her, or didn’t bother to wait. The door closed nearly in her face.

_ Really, this old shit again! _

There was a puff of pink air that only she could see. Enra Enra, her guardian spirit, twittered nervously as she circled the electronics.

“Yeah,” Sharona muttered. “I don’t like it either.”

“Hey,” a voice said. She turned and saw the two young men… er… ghosts, that she had caught during orientation. Up close, she noticed the gaping holes in their skulls and other sundry injuries - most likely the result of a car accident or something similar. “Can you like… see us?”

Sharona glanced down the corridor, checking for cameras, before nodding once.

“Oh, than god,” one of them said. “I was worried that I had lost my way.”

“Yeah, about that,” she said. “I have some bad news for you.” 

Some ghosts had more self-awareness than others. These two were… of the latter variety. They did, however, do her the favor of pointing her toward the shortcut to Engineering, and then insisted on following her all the way there, telling her again and again that really, they weren’t dead, they could prove it. Sharona focused on walking as fast as professionalism permitted, smiling at the living and giving the ghosts just enough of her attention as to not offend them. That last thing she needed was a pair of dudes in denial, constantly whispering in her ear that they couldn’t have died because “Mr Kaiba wouldn’t have hired us if we were.”

She was so preoccupied, in fact, she didn’t slow down to turn the corridor to engineering, and then nearly collided with the man hurrying down its other end. She managed to save the situation in the last moment, side-stepping and dropping into an awkward, apologetic bow. 

Her near-victim wasn’t amused. 

“This isn’t track,” he barked at her. “Watch where you’re going.”

“Yes, sorry, I’m really sorry,” she said, bowing again, even though she couldn’t be sure if the man would appreciate the formality or not. She glanced up to ascertain… and realized with horror that she was looking at the owner of the company. “I just didn’t want to be late. It’s my first day.”

Seto Kaiba glared at her employee pass, then raked his gaze from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She’d worn her best "work" clothes, and yet, his open assessment made her feel like she’d committed some grand fashion faux pas. But, just as she was braced for his rebuke, he turned and kept walking. “Don’t let it happen again. You know the rules here,” he said, dismissing her as too insignificant to hold his attention. 

“Of course,” Sharona bowed again. Then, when she was sure he was out of earshot, she muttered under her breath, “Dick.”

The ghosts yammered on, excitedly. “See!” the louder one of the two exclaimed. “He totally saw us!”

“I just don’t know what he disapproved of,” his friend said. “Maybe it was the paisley tie.”

Sharona was about to say that wasn’t the case. Then she remembered that she wasn’t here to do exorcisms.

She was there for orientation.


	2. Floating Pens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> This is just for fun... well, my fun, anyway.

The head engineer of the KL3 project was called Jason de Vigny, and he was as much of a pretentious prick as his name suggested. 

“We have been testing the new systems regularly and the initial results look very promising,” he said, as he showed Seto around the lab area. “It reminds me of the work I did when I worked for Maximilian Pegasus, back when he was first getting into the virtual arenas of his day.”

“I should hope that you’re not regressing us, Jason,” Seto said, surveying the miniature models that were laid out for the team to build on. It was 1/36th the scale of the actual park, and he was not pleased with how it looked… even as bits of cardboard. 

“Not at all, sir, not at all. I was merely suggesting it reminds me of the brutalism of those early days, a sort of austere beauty to the lines and everything…” He then went on to talk about design aesthetic as if it were his firstborn. 

Seto took a deep breath and reminded himself that Jason was an established professional. He hadn’t hired him for his personality - he’d hired him to get the VR towers to work as he’d envisaged. So that people who entered the park could enjoy the facilities and fight their Duel Monster games anywhere and everywhere, with nothing but the tiniest little devices to project the images. So that Kaiba Corp would continue to lead the way in portable gaming tech. So that he could still hold onto some dignity as he faced the world, because quite frankly, the last few years had been grueling enough.

Across the room, he noticed a group of jumpsuit-clad people, working away at various wiring projects. 

“I see you put the interns to work already,” he said, interrupting Jason’s monologue. “I hope they signed additional NDAs.”

“In triplicate,” Jason said, nodding. “Right now, I’m having them experiment with the different kinds of conductors and wiring to see what would be the best choice for the theme park. I have my own preferences, but… well, all data is useful data.”

Seto pursed his lips. In theory that was correct. He just wasn’t sure why Jason needed twelve people making twelve different versions of the same thing. Was he just trying to cover his bases? Checking whether specific conductors were better than others?

There was an irregularity to the work table. He took a few steps closer, before realizing what was bothering him.

Nine of the interns were huddled in the far end of the table, talking and laughing as much as they were constructing their bits. The other three worked quietly, heads lowered, seemingly separated by a wall from the rest of the group. Two were men that looked like they’d been through a bar fight… twice. The last was the woman who had nearly ran him over in the corridor last week. 

His frown deepened.

“Vary things up a bit,” he told Jason. “Get half of this lot onto the projector issues. Whomever has shown that they can work with tiny, fiddly things. We are behind schedule and all this beta testing is making it difficult for the other departments to progress on their end.”

Jason started to object. Kaiba cut him off.

“Six people on the conductors is enough,” he said. “Put the other half on the projectors.”

“You mean… five, sir. Correct?” The head engineer coughed. “There are only ten of the interns, sir.”

He looked at the table again. The disheveled looking men were gone, and so was their work. The woman was the only one sitting apart from the group.

“Of course. Five,” he agreed, shaking his head. Maybe the stress really was getting to him.

The woman looked up from her work and met his eyes. At least today she was wearing clothes that befitted the work - their last encounter, he’d noticed that both she and her companions looked like they had walked off some kind of fancy dress party. In the standard-issue uniform for Kaiba Corp technicians, she was almost presentable. 

Almost.

As if reading his mind, she looked him up and down, too. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, her frank appraisal somehow translating into “danger” to his lizard brain. 

“That woman, at the far end of the table,” Seto started, then stopped. What was he going to say? That she looks at him funny?

“Sir?” Jason asked, looking expectant.

Seto looked at the work surface and gestured to it. “She’s already finished the prototype you asked of her. In fact, she seems to be starting on a new one.” The rest of the group seemed more interested in talking to one another than in the work. “Make sure none of them are staying idle.” He didn’t want any bored fools wandering around. Not in this lab. Not right now.

***

Sharona walked into her home at five past eight that night, throwing off her shoes and announcing, “I fucking hate rich guys. They all deserve to rot in hell.”

“Welcome to the club.” Her friend Lilly called out. “We’re having our hundredth meeting in five minutes. Come join us.”

She wandered into the kitchen. Between her four friends and their guardian spirits, the space felt cramped already; but there were also the ghosts of the previous owners, muttering to themselves in the corner. And the previous ones. And the ones before them. Their rented flat was in a complex with no doorman, no bus links, and no decent schools, but it did boast the highest death rate per building in the area. How could they have said no to _ that _?

Sharona acknowledged the non-sentient ghosts, then her friends’ spirits, then her friends themselves. Sally looked like she’d just come back from work, too; Lily seemed to be on her way out. Ellie and Millie were sat at the table, going through a pile of homework. The whole scene screamed “exhausted 20-somethings in need of a better economy”. 

“Need me to get dinner?” she asked. “I still haven’t taken my shoes off.”

“Lentils in the fridge,” Lilly said, adjusting her glasses and schoolgirl uniform using the mirror they’d hung over the kitchen sink. Every time she saw her like this, Sharona fought the urge to wince - Lilly hadn’t been a schoolgirl for over five years now, and even when she had been, she hadn’t gone to a district nice enough to have blazers and pleated skirts to give students. None of them had. “There will be more lentils tomorrow. And the day after. And, to commemorate the start of the new working week, we will celebrate with fava beans.”

“Because nothing says ‘Thank God It’s Monday’ like long, protracted farts,” Sally quipped back. “For fuck’s sakes, Lil, I have to drive people all the time, and those fuckers won’t even let me roll down a window.”

“Serves them right, then,” Lilly said. “And if you don’t like my cooking, then starve.”

“Getting into character already, huh?” Sharona said, sitting down next to Millie. The youngest member of her group gave a wan smile, then turned her attention back to the page, frowning. Trig. Of course. “Want some help?”

“Please.” Ellie pushed the textbook across the table. The relief on her face was palatable. “I can do History and English lit, but the numbers are scrambling my brain.”

Sharona laughed and pulled a pen out of her pocket. “That’s what you keep me around for, hon. That, and sweet, sweet Physics.”

Millie let out a pitiable moan.

Out of all of them, she was the only one going to school; and she would continue going to school, if they had any say on the matter, until she was graduated with a PhD and/or an honorary professorship. Call it projection, call it over-compensation; but they wanted at least one of them to get a chance in normal life, however dull or conformist it was.

She worked through the problems with Millie, enjoying the palette cleanser they provided after a day of fiddling with wires and having complicated problems of energy transmission thrown at her from all sides. It wasn’t until they reached the bottom of the page that Sally addressed her again.

“So, what’s this about you hating rich guys?” the redhead asked, loosening her tie and shrugging her jacket off. “Or were you always this angry with the bourgeoisie and just didn’t let on till now.”

“Funny,” Sharona said. “It’s not like we are are all working for assholes.”

Her friend gave her bloodthirstiest grin. “The revolution will be swift. After we pay the piper, anyway.” She cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck. “For real, though. I know you’re excited for the paycheck and all, but if your boss is giving you a hard time, it’s not worth you staying in that situation.”

Right. Because they’d cobble up three million dollars from just the salaries of a limo driver, a waitress, and a dominatrix. Ren Tao’s lawyers would tear them apart before they even made a dent in the _ interest _ on that debt. 

Sharona didn’t even think it was funny anymore. 

“I’m just grousing,” she said. “Honestly, the head of department barely bothers with us. And even if the CEO is an anal control freak, karma is getting its own back.”

Sally raised an eyebrow. “Karma, huh? Haven’t seen that bitch in a while - what’s she done to him?”

“Filled his entire building with ghosts. He’s practically swimming in past misery.” The ghosts that haunted him didn’t even have a shape, they were that old. She didn’t want to be around when they finally got a hold of him.

“What’s this guy’s name again?” Lilly asked. “If he’s on my roster, I can school him for you. Make employee happiness part of his weekly punishment.”

Sharona smiled. “Seto Kaiba isn’t into kink. He gets off on bossing people around.”

That was an understatement. In her first ten days on the job, she’d seen the CEO no less than two dozen times, and that was just in her department. She couldn’t imagine how the people in Programming or Logistics dealt with his constant intrusions. He wanted to know what everyone was doing, where they were at with their work, when they went to the toilet, everything. She expected to walk in any day and get told she’d have to report her menstrual cycle so that her productivity projections could be charted accurately. 

Lilly listened to that and snorted. “Sounds like exactly the sort of guy who’d be into kink. I bet he loves getting tied up and--”

“Can we like, not talk about that right now?” Ellie asked, looking at Millie pointedly.

“Don’t worry,” the latter said, not looking up from her homework. “It’s not like I’m going to talk about nipple clamps and gimp suits to my teachers.”

“You’re not even supposed to know what those things are!” 

“Point is,” Sharona said, “I can live with this if the paycheck makes up for it. And if they do, by some miracle, take me on a permanent basis, we might even move to a flat with its own washing machine.” 

***

The conversation probably would have gone on for a while like that, if Lilly and Ellie didn’t have to go to work. Adjusting her tie, Sally got up to drive them, and the three filed out the door. Sharona did some more homework with Millie, before reheating dinner and serving for the two of them.

This had been their routine for a while now. The day shifters would come back around eight, have a few minutes to decompress, before the ones who worked at night headed out. Sally made sure to drive Ellie and Lilly to their workplaces - Sharona was the one to pick them up in the wee hours in the morning, before they dropped Millie off in school. Then Sharona and Sally went to their respective places of work, while Ellie and Lilly slept off whatever memories - good, bad, or indifferent - the night had left them with. 

It worked, mostly because they only had a bedroom and a living room and nobody would get any rest if the five of them had to inhabit the space for more than one hour at a time.

“Are you really okay with your job?” Millie asked, as Sharona inhaled dinner. “Like… is it okay, boss aside?”

“You know, it actually is,” Sharona said. “They give us a lot of responsibilities already, and the problems are interesting to deal with. I don’t think I would mind doing it longer term.”

“Problems like what?” Millie asked. 

“Well…” Sharona paused, considering the NDAs she’d signed. She doubted a 13-year-old could pose a problem to the company, but still. “You know how sometimes we use up more energy during the day? I mean, in the apartment. We don’t always have the lights on, we don’t always use our computer, and we definitely don’t run multiple appliances all at once all the time.”

“Because sometimes it blows the fusebox, yeah.”

“Not the fusebox, but you are correct. We don’t want to overload the grid.” She considered her next step. “When we use the most energy, it is peak time. But the electricity company doesn’t know when peak time is. So they allocate energy to this building as if peak time is 24/7.”

“Sounds wasteful.”

“It is. But it’s the best we have in neighborhoods like ours. Now, imagine what the needs of a bigger block would be. Or a technology complex. Or—”

“An amusement park?”

“Potentially.” Sharona smiled. “You might be able to use the old solution for a while. But after a few weeks it will become unsustainable.”

“So…” Millie frowned. “You’re trying to figure out how a theme park can become energy-efficient?”

“Allegedly and among other things.” 

“Sounds dorky.”

Sharona laughed and ruffled the little girl’s hair. “It is, hon. But you know what? It’s my kind of dorky.”

***

Sally returned just as Millie had gone to bed, and the two women took the moment to just sit over a cup of coffee and complain over the assholes they’d worked for at various points in their lives. Sally’s current gig was a driver/pretty bodyguard to some entitled brat, and she had enough stories to make Sharona want to never have children of her own.

“Any news from the collectors?” she asked, when her friend stopped to take a sip from her mug. “I mean, any at all?”

Sally shook her head no. “For now, they’re sticking to the zombie-at-the-door routine. At least they seem to understand the concept of ‘flat broke’.”

Sharona nodded.

“I was wondering…” the redhead went on, stirring her coffee “…maybe if I went and talked to him, face to face… we did help them out, Shar. Maybe we can come to an agreement or—”

“You’re not going to bloody China to negotiate.”

“I just think it’s unfair.”

“I brought a private jet down from the sky with the intention of killing the passengers,” Sharona said. “We should be glad they didn’t call the police on us.”

The context of the whole thing was slightly more complex than that, of course. They’d all been participating in a tournament. The goal had been to defeat each other - and the organizers of the tournament had been pretty lenient toward the fatalities. Sharona and her friends hadn’t been the only team who had attempted to cheat. And unlike some other competitors, they hadn’t actually scored any fatalities.

Which was why receiving the bill from Ren Tao about the jet had been somewhat of a surprise.

Okay. Maybe not a surprise.

More like a shock.

A heart attack in an envelope, really.

They’d accepted it because they had done it, and the whole not-calling-the-police was mighty nice. It still left them with a massive debt, and the zombies that the Tao clan used for messengers weren’t placated with declarations of personal bankruptcy. 

This was their world. They’d deal with it.

Sharona wasn’t sure, but she felt like Sally was taking things a little harder than all of them. She couldn’t tell why, though. Whenever she asked, her friend clamped down, to the point where she’d just given up on the conversation. 

“Look,” she said, “engineers at Kaiba Corp get to own the patent on everything they invent. Maybe I’ll come up with a brilliant solution to a problem and earn millions.”

“If your boss ever lets you anywhere near a blueprint.”

“There’s that, too.” Sharona sighed. “But I can dream, can’t I?”

***

She was still dreaming the next day, as she and her fellow interns gathered around the work table. Jason de Vigny had left his plans lying all over the place, and Sharona took the opportunity to study them without interruption. From her perspective, they were really elegant and sleek. She could see why people liked Kaiba Corp for its look. 

But she could also see the problem. The energy needs of the park were huge, and if it didn’t attract enough visitors every single day, it would be a financial drain in weeks. They were experimenting with storage batteries and solar panels now, but that still left the problem of cabling. 

Staring at the plans, she could sense an inkling of an idea coming up. She dug a pencil out of her pocket, but before she could find a piece of paper to scribble on, Jason appeared, looking like Satan on a bad day.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snapped, causing Sharona to jump.

“I… er… I was just thinking about the VR tower problem…” she started, looking around for help. The other interns were pointedly ignoring her. _ Smelling the weird, smelling opportunity, _ she thought, bitter. 

“You don’t make notes on my plans,” he snapped. “This isn’t elementary school.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Mr Kaiba expects tidiness and order in here,” he went on, as if it was her who’d left important business info lying around for all to see. “If you can’t figure that out, then maybe you shouldn’t be here.”

Sharona clenched her jaw so hard her teeth hurt. “Of course,” she said, laying on her stupidest expression. “It was my mistake. It won’t happen again.”

Jason huffed, cleared the blueprints off the table, and ordered them to go back to their conductor experiments. Then he walked all of three feet before dumping them unceremoniously on another work table and ambling off. Because tidiness and order.

Rich assholes didn’t have to make sense. Rich assholes just had to throw a temper tantrum to get everyone else to do their bidding. She knew that already - so why was she so embarrassed? Why so ashamed?

Perhaps because, prior to this debt mess, she’d had a good life. Not an intellectually stimulating one, mind, but a good one nonetheless. She and her friends had had a flower shop together. Their day-to-day lives consisted of putting together funeral wraiths and apology roses, and their biggest problem had been whether there were enough tulips for Mother’s day. They’d been pretty much their own bosses. It was a relief not to have to hide who they were, or dumb down their intellects. They weren’t making millions, but they didn’t need to.

Now, they had regressed. 

Because another rich asshole had decided to be a petty rich asshole.

Sharona looked at the other interns. They were still ignoring her. 

_ All the better. _ She took a moment to focus herself, then summoned Enra Enra. By this time, the two didn’t need to talk out loud to understand each other. Her spirit guardian knew what she wanted, and she approved.

Careful not to look at the plans, Sharona focused on her work while the ghost went over to the table. Nobody was looking. Any security people looking at the camera footage would think the electronics were malfunctioning. Enra found the relevant blueprint and scribbled on the plan. Right in the center. With a black Sharpie.

Served him right, Sharona smirked. 

She’d love to see him explain that to _ Mr Kaiba. _


	3. Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Yu Gi Oh or Shaman King.
> 
> Obvs.

The invitation for the tournament was mocking him. Printed on A3 glossy paper, it promised “The BIGGEST and BEST showdown of Duel Monsters… ever!” 

Seto stared at it for a second, then fed it through the paper shredder. 

They hadn’t even bothered to put his name on the official letter. _ Dear Duellist! _ it read, like he was some kid still playing out of his childhood bedroom. The worst bit was that Pegasus’ company was running it. Pegasus! That washed out hack was managing to stage duels while his own company was struggling to break even. Adding insult to injury didn’t begin to cover it.

He stomped out of his office and headed to the design department, wanting to see where the graphics design for the new VR projections was going. He’d spared no expense, and the artists really were extremely talented. His technology had the potential to blow any competition out of the water.

But for some reason, looking at the detailed mock ups and monster illustrations made him more depressed than ever. If the hardware failed, the project would be dead.

And if it performed in a sub-par way, it would be even worse. He wouldn’t just be a CEO who had flown too close to the sun - he’d be a CEO who didn’t know when to give up.

The idea made him want to vomit.

“Good job,” he told the digital artists, before heading to the third floor.

Yugi Muto would probably attend the tournament, Seto thought, as he descended the stairs instead of taking the lift. Yugi and his whole band of cheerleaders. They would go for the fun of it, or the Heart of the Cards, or some other nonsense, and they would probably make it to the final because the world seemed to favor that rabble. 

But his real opponent wouldn’t be there.

No. His real opponent had passed into the afterlife - because he was a ghost, and he’d waited 5000 years to make that transition.

Seto could still not believe that he’d witnessed all of it. On occasion, he even managed to convince himself that it had all been a fever dream, cooked up by his mind to cope with the fact that a duelist like Yugi had bested him multiple times in a game he was supposed to excel at. 

Reaching the third floor, he swept into the Engineering department, ready to rage at the first available person.

“De Vigny,” he said, “I pay you for solutions, not time wastage.” He gestured to the whiteboard that contained the estimated completion schedule. “Have you worked out a solution for the VR towers yet, or do I need to find myself a new Head Engineer?”

Jason turned nearly green. Good. He needed to see some actual results, and if panic was how he was going to get them, panic was what he was going to give.

“Sir, we have been trying three different scenarios and we haven’t yet—”

“Three? I’d have worked out ten by now.” He walked over to where the blueprints lay neatly folded and he started shuffling them roughly. “These things should be up on the wall, for everyone to work on - not hidden away to gather dust, understand?”

“Of course, sir, we just didn’t want…”

“Just is not a word that exists here,” he snapped. The interns visibly flinched at their tables. Seto gave them a dirty look, making them quickly find other things to occupy their time. Then he returned his attention to the plans.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. There had to be a solution to the problem, he just didn’t see it yet. He…

Frowning, he unfolded one of the main blueprints. Someone - he thought the handwriting was Jason’s - had scribbled “Storage Battery, stupid” on the center of the amusement park. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the person had also drawn lines all over, illustrating what looked like renewable energy panels all over the VR towers. Calculations, estimating how much energy the park could save or even sell back during off-peak hours, dotted the corner of the page. They were slightly off his previous scenarios, but not by much. 

_ But what about power overloads, _ he thought, and noticed the contingency generators along the lines. It was essentially a plan to install batteries all over the park, small enough to avoid overloading, but with enough storage capacity to meet the needs of visitors and then some. 

“This could work,” Seto murmured. “Why haven’t I seen this before?” 

De Vigny spluttered. If anything, he looked even greener.

“I… well, sir, the design…” he managed.

“The design is not your concern,” Seto snapped. “Hell, we can project something on top of the ugly bits, if that’s really such a problem.” He had some of the best digital artists on his payroll. He didn’t even think having visible energy panes was that much of a problem. This wasn’t bloody Disneyland he was building. 

“Work this up digitally,” he ordered. “And no swearing on official documentation.”

This could work. Maybe. He needed to have a closer look at it and run several different scenarios with the energy expenditure— really, why did Jason not bring this up sooner?

He looked at his head engineer, who in turn was staring at the interns’ table, a puzzled expression on his face. Seto followed his gaze and noticed that the same woman from before was sitting apart from the others again. 

Really, had this person not heard of teamwork before?

Deciding on a new target, Seto started walking over. Her head was bent over a long equation and her brow was creased as she did long division by hand. He opened his mouth to ask if she didn’t know to use a calculator, when she asked the intern nearest to her if he could hand her one from the pile at their end of the table.

The man ignored her completely.

As Seto watched, the woman attempted again, then, reconciling herself with the futility of the endeavor, returned to her paper. 

A strange sort of fury crept over him.

One step. Two. The interns became aware of him. They started to look up, one by one, but all he did was grab one of the unused calculators and slide it across the table to the woman. 

She caught it a second before it fell to the floor. 

“Thanks,” she started to say, before she froze in place, finally registering who he was.

This lot really needed more spatial awareness. They were a mess.

“If you need something,” he said, firmly, “Just take it. These tools are here for your aid.”

The woman’s lips pressed together - not a flattering look, considering how thin they were in the first place. Her whole face, in fact, was thin and angular and shrewd, making her look like she was permanently scheming something. Which was a shame - from afar, she could have easily been mistaken for Mai Valentine. She had the same long hair, the same general shape to her face. But there was just something off-putting about the tilt of her mouth, the arch of her eyes. 

In fact, she reminded him more of Pegasus than anybody else, a fact that he did not appreciate today.

“I hope I won’t have to repeat myself with this,” he said.

“Yes, sir,” she said, finally. “My apologies, it won’t happen again.”

Her voice was the picture of subservience. So why did he feel like she was mocking him?

_ It doesn’t matter. She’s just an intern. She probably won’t make it another week here. _ Picking on her suddenly felt shoddy. There was no sport to it. He might as well have been kicking a puppy into oncoming traffic.

Dismissing her, he walked over to Jason. “Have those plans on my desk by the end of the day,” he said. “And quit it with the aesthetics. I have a department for that.”

And then he swept away, ignoring the nagging feeling that he was being mocked.

***

Kaiba had barely gotten out of earshot before the Head Engineer stormed up to the interns table. Sharona braced for impact.

“Are you responsible for this?” he thundered, slapping the plan in front of her. She made sure to wince, then looked up at him with the most frightened expression she could muster.

“W-what do you mean?” she asked. “You told me not to touch these.”

“And what did you do? Deface company property!”

“I haven’t touched these! I haven’t even gotten up from this table.”

“If you think that I can’t see past your act—”

Sharona stared at him without blinking. She’d read somewhere that keeping your eyes wide open would eventually cause tears to appear there. It seemed like the right time to test that theory.

One of the other interns coughed. “Um, sir… she really hasn’t touched the plans.”

“Shut up, Aaron, I wasn’t talking to you.”

“But he’s right.” Another one, a girl this time, chimed in. “She was sitting at the table all morning. Really sir, we would have seen her.”

Jason quieted her with a glare. Sharona fought the urge to deck him.

“Look at the security tapes,” she said, voice shaking. “You’ll see, I wasn’t anywhere near those plans all morning.”

“I don’t need to look at any tapes,” he snarled. “You will take your shit and get out of here now.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re firing me? Over something I didn’t do?”

“You don’t get fired if you’re on probation. Out.”

Desperation - or maybe it was stupidity - made her smirk. “Fine.”

Jason froze. Smirking women were clearly not something he was used to dealing with. “Fine?”

“Fine. I’ll take my things,” she said. “And then I’m going to go all the way to HR. Or maybe the press. Tell them about how Kaiba Corp’s program differs from advertised. I’m sure they’d be interested in how you make people jump through hoops and then dismiss them without good cause.”

The Head Engineer fumed. “You insolent little—”

“Just check the tapes. That’s all I ask for.” Sharona stifled another smirk. Now was the time to project sincerity. “If I’m going to get dismissed, I’d like to be dismissed for something I actually did.”

Jason’s hands clenched and unclenched. Had she miscalculated? Did she peg him wrong?

Then he turned on his heel and dialed the security room, and she knew she was in the clear.

The rush of power she felt in that moment made her head spin.


	4. Distractions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.

Seto wanted to work through the weekend.

Really, what he wanted to do was having finished with this bit of the project and progressed all the way to opening day, but he couldn’t let his impatience get the better of him. If he rushed through the foundations, everything else would fall apart. He had to show better sense than that. He had to.

That didn’t mean he enjoyed Friday rolling around without the engineering team having made any significant breakthroughs. He explained this to Mokuba, as the two of them hung out in his office - he working on the engineering plan, his brother - on homework for school. “It’s like we’ve finally started going somewhere and now everything grinds to a halt for two days,” he grumbled. “It’ll take them at least until Thursday to get into a groove again, and by the time they do, another weekend will roll around.”

“I thought we agreed that you’d let other people do their jobs more,” Mokuba said. He'd shot up in the last years. Soon he would reach Seto in height. 

His little brother wasn’t so little anymore, and he’d barely been there to witness it. Even if he had good reasons, the thought still hurt.

“I know,” he said. “Which is why I’m annoyed. Letting people do their jobs is what got us in this mess in the first place.”

Mokuba snorted. “You know, it is possible we just it a plateau. Maybe we weren’t meant to go further than we did.”

“That’s not a good attitude to have. We can always improve.” It was possible. He’d seen it. He pulled up the last good blueprint that the engineering department had made and showed it to his brother. “Look at this. If we build the new park in the desert, and we installed a stable energy storage system, we could be self-sustaining from day one. Hell, we might be able to sell the surplus back to the city. Can you imagine what a relief that would be? Or the wider applicability of the technology?”

Mokuba came close and studied the graph. “It would be if the math is right.”

“It is right. But it’s just a theoretical concept for now.” Seto frowned. “Making it into a reality is what I’m concerned about.”

Mokuba clicked through the images. “Did Jason make these?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“He must have spent some time in a desert then. He seems to make a lot of assumptions based on that.”

Seto didn’t have the man’s CV in front of him, but he could see why Mokuba would make that assumption. He had assumed engineering had already taken all the environmental readings they needed, but there was something about the calculations on the blueprint he liked that… well… spoke to a deeper experience.

“Want to pull a weekender then?” Mokuba asked.

“I don’t want to leave you by yourself.”

“I can help.” He pointed at some of the drawings of solar panels and hydrogen batteries on the plan. “Someone needs to come up with a way to hide these things. I’m sure Graphics won’t mind if I borrow a drawing pad.”

He squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry I’m not more fun. I’ll make it up to you.”

“You’re the best. And anyway, this beats watching chess tournaments all day.” Mokuba squeezed back. “You’ll have to hurry. If you want people to do overtime, you need to tell them in advance.”

“I’ll make it an optional session,” he said. “I’m sure HR will find a way to sweeten the deal.”

***

Except HR had gone home by the time he got around to making the phone call, and he couldn’t get a hold of Jason either. In the end, Seto resorted to sending an email to the whole of the engineering team at 7 PM, saying that if anybody wanted to work over the weekend, he would be in the office Saturday through Sunday.

Nobody responded.

He spent the night wondering if anybody would show up at all. He didn’t need help - not really - but it would be nice to have an assistant or two to bounce ideas off of, and share the tasks. Maybe he was literally the only one who wanted to make this a success. Maybe nobody at Kaiba Corp liked working there because of the prestige anymore - just the paycheck and the holiday bonuses. That was fair enough - he supposed - but were there really no people with passion to invent left? He’d been the one to turn the company from a weapons manufacturer to a leader in entertainment. Why was it that only he cared for that legacy?

Seto spent the night tossing and turning. He was pretty much ready to go back to the office at 6 AM but, wanting to at least have a semblance of a normal morning, waited until 9, reading the paper while Mokuba played on the computer, taking his time with breakfast even if it tasted like ash. Eventually, they got to the office. He sent Mokuba off to the design studio to grab whatever he needed, while he headed to the third floor.

He was braced for the loneliest working weekend ever. That was why he nearly tripped over his two feet when he saw a woman waiting in front of the engineering department. A woman with yellow hair, green eyes, and a shrewd tilt to her mouth.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

She blinked at him slowly. “I saw we were working this weekend last night,” she said. “But it didn’t say what time.”

“I mean, why are you outside the department.”

She held out her ID sheepishly. “Interns aren’t allowed in the lab unsupervised. I figured someone would show up to let me in eventually.”

Seto cursed himself. Of course, that rule. He’d made up that rule. Because you couldn’t trust interns with an NDA alone - corporate spies definitely did not care for one. “Did you email back to say you were coming?” He hadn’t even checked his inbox.

“I didn’t realize I had to. Sorry,” she added, quickly.

_ Kicking dogs into traffic _ Seto reminded himself, and forced some more kindness into his voice. “Never mind. You’ll know now.” He unlocked the lab and went in. “Is anybody else coming, do you think?” he asked.

“Maybe,” she said. “I only saw the email because I was late finishing my work.”

He glanced at her. “Doing long division by hand again?”

She gave a wry smile, then picked something off the shelf. It looked like a half melted tangle of wires - three kinds of them. “Mr de Vigny asked us to experiment with conductors of different thickness. I wanted to see if the alloys made any difference, too. Took me a while to write up the results.”

_ What an overachiever _ Seto thought. 

Then again - you kind of had to be one to get into the internship program.

“And did it?” he asked, as he shrugged off his jacket and donned a lab coat. “Make a difference, I mean.”

“Nope.” She tossed the ruined experiment back on the shelf. “Not at this thickness, anyway. But hey - all data is good data at this point, right?”

He hummed. “Well. If your supervisor doesn’t show up today, you’ll be working with me. How comfortable are you with the VR modeling program on the computers?”

Her eyes lit up. “I haven’t had a chance to play yet,” she said. “But I’m a quick study.”

He’d have to keep an eye on that one. She was much too eager. As he booted up a terminal and waited for it to load, he studied her employee ID covertly. He couldn’t well keep calling her ‘Woman’ all day.

Mokuba burst in the lab, carrying a large drawing pad. “Oh, hey!” he said, cheerfully. “Are you working with us today?”

“Looks like,” Seto said. “Mokuba, this is… Sharona Ward, she’s from the intern program. Ms Ward, this is my brother.”

Instantly, the sardonic look disappeared, replaced by a wide, genuine smile. “Pleased to meet you, Mr Kaiba,” she said, shaking Mokuba’s hand and beaming. “Thank you for having me.”

As if he’d been the one bankrolling her post. 

Seto coughed, starting the simulator. “This is what I need you to run today. We set the parameters here. Then…” he went through the main features, giving her just enough information to make sure she could keep up that day. She listened attentively, and then did a few tests just to show that she had understood. She was a bit clumsy and unsure… but then again, she had just started. 

Mokuba raised an eyebrow at his brother, then settled a desk with the sketch pad. Seto watched Sharona work for a while longer, and then said, “That’s good enough. Bring up a copy of the VR tower spec. Let’s see what would happen if we installed hydrogen cells on it.”

***

Her head was bursting with maths, solar facts, and the physics of energy transfer. And Sharona had never felt better.

When she’d seen the email, her only thought had been about the overtime pay. When she’d had to wait an hour in front of the lab, she’d wondered if maybe this wasn’t all some kind of cruel hazing joke. And then, when Seto Kaiba had shown up and informed her that she’d be working under him all day - that is, under his supervision - she’d thought she was about to regret coming out in the first place.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Not only did she get to play with the shiny programs the senior engineers used - and really, how could they keep this to themselves - but it turned out that Asshole McAnal was remarkably tolerant if he saw her trying. That, or maybe his brother’s presence was tempering him.

“So, how do you like the program, Sharona?” he asked in between experiments, as she was waiting for the data to print. He reminded her a little of Millie - sweet and considerate without even trying.

“Try not to distract her,” his brother muttered, not tearing his eyes away from the computer screen.

Sharona rolled her eyes… away from him. “I enjoy it,” she told Mokuba. “In fact, I think I’m going to go for the full post at the end.”

“I thought that was the end goal,” Seto said.

“It is, but your documents make it very clear that not everyone makes it that far.” She shrugged her shoulder, as she laid the data printouts next to him. “I try to be as realistic as I can.”

He gave her a sideways glance. “I see. Is that why you decided to do overtime?”

She grinned and gave him a wink. She didn’t know why - it was a terrible idea, in fact - but for some reason, she didn’t think he was going to fire her in front of his brother for being saucy. “What can I say, I’ve always been a teacher’s pet.”

His eyes widened slightly, and then he pulled the sheets toward himself.

“I hope you didn’t have to cancel plans,” Mokuba said, sounding pretty sincere himself. “We try to make it worth people’s while when Seto wants to pull a weekender, but we know it’s hard.”

“No plans whatsoever,” Sharona said. “In fact, my roommate is studying for her scholarship exams right now. Giving her peace and quiet is its own reward.”

“When you’re done talking,” Seto cut in, interrupting whatever response his brother was about to give, “Adjust the charge on the experiment and run it again, this time with 50% of the hydrogen batteries. Let’s see how long much they will be able to hold if we haven’t had a chance to change them up.”

Sharona smirked. 

Maybe Lilly was right after all. Maybe this guy was a glutton for punishment.

***

He didn’t expect to see her on Sunday.

He expected more people to show up.

In the end, Seto was both relieved and annoyed to find Sharona waiting in front of the lab the next morning. Not because a newbie couldn’t handle working with him - or that he couldn’t handle working with a newbie - but because really, of all the engineers in his department, she was the only one who read emails? 

Or was she just the only one who cared?

“Is your brother joining us today?” she asked. For a moment, he wondered if she was worried about his conduct if it was just the two of them. He wanted to say she had nothing to worry about - but then, how would she know? And why would she believe him if he said so? 

But her tone of voice wasn’t particularly concerned. In fact, she seemed perfectly at ease, walking close by, as the two of them entered the darkened lab and got settled around the work station. Her hair was swept into the same bun as before, she wasn’t wearing more or less makeup than he’d ever seen her in, and she was… well, behaving pretty familiarly. In fact, the more stern he got with her the previous day, the more she seemed willing to be informal, something which confused him to no end.

“He’s visiting some friends in the morning,” Seto said at length. “He might drop in the afternoon.”

“I brought the book I was telling him about.” She pulled a tattered copy of Kenneth Clark’s Civilization from her handbag, as if in clarification.

Seto stared at the volume. It looked like it had been dropped into a puddle… several times.

“I’m sure we can purchase a copy,” he said, booting up the computer and sitting down. He saw her purse her lips in a pout, then put it on the work bench without further comment.

In truth, he didn’t mind at all that she and Mokuba had managed to hold a decent conversation. In fact, he himself had enjoyed listening to them. But they had a task to do. A very important task.

A task which she, as he’d noticed, could get quite enthusiastic about. 

On several occasions yesterday, he’d noticed her spacing out, staring at the equations with an intensity that was disconcerting. He’d had to call her name several times to get her to focus. On other cases, he’d seen her scribble the same equation over and over again until she figured out the right ratios… and then her face had lit up as if she’d just won a Nobel Prize.

She got _ it _. She could enter the same zone as him when he was consumed by a problem, and she found it just as interesting an exciting as he did.

It was a little bit embarrassing, like realizing that other people liked Duel Monsters as much as he did. He felt a tiny bit defensive.

Only a tiny bit, though, since she was still working for him.

Without Mokuba to make conversation, the two barely exchanged two works that didn’t revolve around energy storage and exchange. However, that didn’t mean that the work didn’t flow. If anything, she was taking the lead on entering new parameters, printing out data, and organizing it before he’d even finished reviewing the results of the last simulation. He’d gone out to grab a coffee and come back to find her tweaking the model to account for positioning of the sun at dawn versus high noon, and the relative humidity of the desert air in winter.

“Is that really necessary?” he’d asked, when she explained why she was fucking with the basic model. 

“I’m trying to get a sense of what a realistic peak time will look like,” she said. “Even if you have indoors air conditioning, most people aren’t going to want to do things between 10 AM and 2 PM. Alternatively, you won’t have a huge influx of visitors at dawn or dusk - not if they want to travel in sub-zero temperatures. Any duelist worth their salt will want to perform in optimal conditions, which means that 8-10 and 2-5 is when you will see the most energy usage.” She bit on a pencil and frowned. “Unless, that is, you want to offer overnight accommodation as well. Will you be?”

“Only for the elite matches.”

“But you will surely want an audience there. That means people will need a way to get to and from the city, at least. So that means…” she pulled the pencil out of her mouth “…we need to think of travel times as well. The peak will probably be 5-7 unless you have some sort of major duel at night. If you want to put charging points for electric vehicles, we’ll need to think of demand around those times.”

And then she started chewing on the pencil again.

Seto had to excuse himself at that. 

Not because her thinking habits were irritating him. But because he had the strangest feeling that if she didn’t stop molesting that writing utensil, he would yank it out of her mouth and…

Nope. He was not going there. No.

Luckily, all it had taken was imagining the ribbing Yugi and his gang would give him, if they ever saw him do what he had imagined doing. The fact that they would never set foot in his lab was… well… it was not relevant. Humiliation was always a good way to get his tempter under control.

He didn’t even _ like _ her. What the hell?

They worked all the way through lunch and into the late afternoon, with Seto getting increasingly excited about the results they were getting. So did Sharona. The two of them started trading more ideas… mostly, again, about logistics.

That was how Mokuba found them - at four PM, heads bent over the miniature 3-D model of the park, arguing over the number of toilets that would have to be installed.

“If you honestly think that women need the same amount of square footage as men, I ask you to imagine changing a tampon—” she said, then stopped mid-sentence and blushed. “Oh, sorry Mokuba.”

His younger brother waved his hand, the universal no bother sign, before raising an eyebrow at him. “Security said you hadn’t left the lab at all, Seto. I just thought I’d check in on you.”

“I’m fine,” he said. Just then, his stomach gave a growl. “I just need another coffee.”

“I’m pretty sure working without a break constitutes a violation of the Employer’s Code of Conduct,” Mokuba said sternly, before beaming at Sharona. “How about we all grab dinner? Seems like the least we can do, after stealing your weekend.”

Sharona’s expression froze. Seto hadn’t seen anyone react so badly to an invitation since… well, since the last time he’d issued one. 

“Thank you, no,” she said, looking around. “I er… it’s my turn to cook tonight. In fact, since we worked through lunch, I hope you won’t mind me heading off, Mr Kaiba?”

It took him a moment to register her question. His curt nod was all the input she needed - Sharona was out the door, calling out a hasty goodbye, and thanking them for their patience with her… as if she’d been the one imposing. 

It wasn’t until she was gone that he noticed she’d left her book behind.

Without a word to Mokuba, he picked it up and slipped it into his briefcase.

He'd give it back to her.

Soon.


	5. In the margin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh. Nope.

The Head Engineer apparently wasn’t a fan of extracurricular activities. Or of people doing them without his knowledge.

Perhaps she should have been grateful that he waited for a quiet moment to chew her out. Perhaps. 

Sharona still didn’t enjoy it.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?” he hissed, as he walked her to the corner of the lab. If he had an ounce less self control, he probably would have dragged her there by the elbow. He pulled a sheet of paper and brandished it at her. “What is this?”

She took it carefully and held it up to read. “It looks like my pro rota wages,” she said, handing it back to him. “I got a similar one in the mail on Tuesday.”

“What is this overtime last weekend?”

Sharona took a deep breath. She’d done this before. She’d handled guys like this. All she had to do was stay calm. Even if it was hard. Especially if it was hard.

“I saw an email saying we were working the weekend. I assumed it included the interns. I showed up, Mr Kaiba told me what he wanted me to do, and so I did it.” She widened her eyes and blinked rapidly. “Was I not supposed to?”

Jason’s nostrils flared. “Are you deliberately being dense?”

“No, sir?”

“So you are mocking me then?”

“I honestly don’t understand—”

“You’re an intern. You have no business spending time with the CEO.”

_ Jealous much? _ she wondered, while her guardian spirit growled at her side. She imagined calmness, projected serenity, and forced Enra to stay down. They had to be on their best behavior, even though, God help them, they’d let their guard down a bit this weekend. 

Or rather, she had. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just read the email and assumed it was mandatory.”

_ Come on, _ she thought at him. _ I’m just a simple little lady not knowing the rules. Can you expect better from a community college dropout. _

Jason slapped the paper against the palm of his hand. “This is a prestigious program, Miss Ward. There are dozens of people just waiting for a chance to prove themselves. Being impudent does not serve you.”

She nodded. Of course she knew. She knew very well. 

Deciding that he’d bullied her enough, he ordered her back at the work bench, where the rest of the interns were congregating.

“Right, you lot,” Jason said, once they were all seated. “Today we have something different for you. Mr Kaiba has prepared some problems here - mechanical blueprints, bad projects, scrapped ideas. He would like to see you try and come out with a way to fix them.” His eyes landed on Sharona and seemed to linger on her for a beat too long. “You have today to play at this, and then you need to hand them over. Tomorrow, the person who got closest to a solution will be given a reward.”

Sharona’s ears perked up. 

But Jason’s eyes kept coming back to her, full of hostility.

“You may start… now,” he announced, and gestured to his assistant to distribute the problems. Then he slinked off, probably to yell at HR for allowing a lowly woman in the lab after hours.

She took a deep breath and told herself to focus. Nothing bad had happened. 

Yet.

She’d started the week feeling hopeful, buoyed by that joy from a job well done, the satisfaction of having learned something fantastic. She’d been so excited to see what the Monday would bring… even if it also meant a return to Seto Kaiba’s grumpiness. She held no illusion that the ease at which they’d held themselves all weekend would carry on - he was a CEO, he wasn’t expected to have favorites. 

What she did not expect was him totally withdrawing.

Where he’d been in the lab at least twice a day before, now he was not to be seen. If she caught sight of him in the corridor, he either did not look at her or he would walk brusquely past, probably headed for some important meeting. That was fine. She knew it was fine.

It had to be fine.

She certainly wasn’t looking to build a rapport or actually make friends with him. 

Really.

Sharona sighed and turned her attention to the problem at hand. It looked like an old dueling disk, the kind she had seen on television a couple of times before he’d come up with the sleeker ones. She hadn’t particularly cared for the old design, and it seemed like an unreasonably clunky piece of machinery to haul around.

So why was she being asked to fix it? What could that do to advance his agenda? It didn’t fit the m.o. of working through the weekend of advance an important project…

A chill swept her spine. Unless…

Unless, this wasn’t from Kaiba at all. 

Jason could tell the interns whatever he wanted and they would believe him. Why wouldn’t they? If he said an assignment came straight from the CEO, they wouldn’t question it.

What if he was trying to figure out who messed with the plans so that he could fire them? What if he wanted proof to get rid of her?

She frowned at the blueprint. She could, in fact, see a solution to the issue. If the design hadn’t been so horrible, it really wouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. But if she was too good at this, maybe she was setting herself up for failure.

Oh well, she decided. She knew how to be middling. If nothing else, she wasn’t worried about disappointing anyone today.

***

Unbeknown to her, though, the order had come from Seto. And for a very specific reason.

The suspicion had started on Monday, as he’d swept into his office and found Jason ready to grovel. He was so sorry for not seeing the email. So sorry. He hadn’t realized that Mr Kaiba would really work all weekend, or else he would have never slacked off. 

Seto had dismissed his apology. It was irrelevant. He’d progressed, he’d share his progress in a meeting with all the heads of department, no harm, no foul. 

It had been on the tip of his tongue to say Sharona had also helped, but he held off in the last moment. What difference would it make to Jason? The extra labor was accounted for with HR, and that was what mattered.

It wasn’t until he was in said meeting with the Heads of department that he’d realized a crucial detail: Jason _ really _ didn’t understand his own project.

Oh, he was a brilliant engineer, and he knew well enough how a thing behaved when placed in a cool lab. But the desert? He didn’t have any opinions about the placement of the sun, air humidity, or travel peak times; he didn’t even seem to care the park would be having disparate energy needs during different times of the day.

By the end of the meeting, Seto was suspicious.

By the end of the next day, he was almost certain that Jason had passed off someone else’s work as his own. It wasn’t just his never-ending screed about “aesthetic” - the man simply did not think in terms of the outside world. 

How could it be? He was one of the best, most respected engineers in his field.

He’d tried explaining the dilemma to Mokuba over dinner on Tuesday night. His brother had cut right through the bullshit.

“You know plenty of people who suck at their jobs,” he said. “They just surround themselves with talented aids, is all.”

Seto had to agree with that. In fact, he’d given Jason ten very talented aids less than a month ago. 

Now, he typically wasn’t the sort of person to parse out work as being this person’s or that. A team was a team and they all helped each other out. Petty squabbles over credit were just that - petty. 

What bothered him was when the persons he deferred to were clearly not paying attention, or talking to their team to check if all the steps were followed correctly. What would happen, for example, someone omitted installing a key security feature because their ego had been injured in a meeting? Or refused to account for sufficient plumbing needs (and toilets) because they didn’t listen to the women on their team? What would happen if a talented, but disgruntled person, got passed on too many times and decided to take their revenge out on the company? 

So he’d devised a plan. Pulling ten blueprints of his trashed projects, he’d sent them off to the interns with a request that they take a crack at them on Thursday. Then he’d tried focusing on reports from Design, trying not to seem impatient.

“Here we go,” Jason announced, carrying the papers in at the end of the work day. “Fairly mediocre, if I may say so myself.”

“They’re meant to be mediocre,” Seto replied, taking them from him. When the Head Engineer didn’t move, he added, “That’ll be all.”

“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking… what was the purpose of this?”

Seto frowned at him. “The purpose is to separate the wheat from the chaff,” he said, holding the papers as if they held the secrets of the universe. “Just because this lot got through a numeric test doesn’t mean they belong on my team.”

Jason seemed relieved to hear that. “Well then, I’m sure this will help, sir.” And then, mercifully, he left.

Seto’s first pass over the tests was… well, disappointing. 

The solutions really were rather silly. Either too expensive, or lacking in imagination, or just plain common sense, none of them showed even remote promise.

Then again, maybe they wanted to play it safe. Maybe they didn’t want to insult him.

Seto sighed, taking a long look at Sharona’s paper in particular. After she’d caught on so quickly during the weekend, he’d been hoping that she, at least, would give him something interesting. But no - the improvements she’d made on his dueling disk prototype were hardly a step up from the core design. Even if he’d tried to make that change, the damn thing would have exploded. 

He set the papers aside, and rocked back and forth in his chair. Something wasn’t right. He was being duped. 

Yugi and his band of cheerleaders would have called this the heart of the cards, but this wasn’t a duel. He had no clear opponent. He wasn’t even sure if the person he was seeking was an enemy. 

Taking another look through the solutions, he tried to remind himself that neither of these people were a genius. The ideas were the sort of thing kids straight out of university would suggest. And they were critiquing _ his _ ideas. If it were that easy to critique his ideas, he didn’t deserve to be sitting where he was. 

But he needed people to challenge him. How was he going to progress if nobody pushed him past the boundaries of what he could do? That was the one thing he was grateful Yugi had done - he would have never progressed as a duelist without a foil. He needed the same from his staff.

Seto’s eyes landed on his open briefcase, and the battered copy of “Civilization”, hidden between random notes and scrap paper. He still hadn’t brought it back to Sharona. He had to do that soon. Mokuba had devoured it in one night. It was clearly a beloved book. It was dog eared and covered in notes from several different people. Sometimes the notes seemed to argue with each other, especially in the big empty spaces at the end of a chapter. A bit like a comment section, except one where everyone involved liked the others.

Really, he had expected better from her on the test. It was disappointing. The weekend had given him a glimpse of a woman with a quick, curious mind. Why was she going for the most obvious and least useful solution?

The nagging sensation increased. 

Why was this so bad?

With a few keystrokes, he brought up Sharona’s application to the internship program. Biometrics were as expected, though he was mildly surprised that she was a couple of years older than him. Her results on the aptitude tests had been truly impressive. Her motivation letter was… a bit cloying, but then again, HR hadn’t exactly given the applicants much to work with. Her academic record had more holes in it than a target at a shooting range. She hadn’t even gone to proper university, and dropped out of her community college as soon as she’d hit 20. Her work history screamed “diversity hire”: addresses in a bad part of town, no high-paying posts, a series bunch of three-to-six month gigs in retail. Her last place of work had been a _ flower shop _, for fuck’s sakes. It was almost as if she’d been selected so that Kaiba Corp wouldn’t get accused of classism.

But a perfect background check, and no stains on her financial history. Not even a parking ticket. 

Where had she had a chance to learn about physics? When had she found the time to do calculus? In between lily deliveries?

Seto brought up her picture from her first day. The collar of her frumpy dress was visible at the corner, offending his sensibilities. Was this the best she could do? Her list of previous addresses was as long as his arm. Young, academic underachiever, moved constantly, bounced between shoddy jobs… she ought not to have been able to come to Kaiba Corp in the first place, and yet she had clawed her way into the internship program. Could it be that she was simply tenacious? That she had hit a plateau?

He stood up and walked out of his office. It was five o’clock. Regular employees would have gone home. They must have. But he bounded all the way to the third floor, and sure enough, there were the interns still, working away at some other assignment. Jason was nowhere in sight.

Instead of pulling her out of there, Seto walked to the security office. He could ask others about this mess, or he just check the footage from the room. He knew what was the least likely to lie.

“You’re the second person person to ask us of this day’s tapes, boss,” his chief of security said, as the techs worked to bring up the file. “We told Mr de Vigny, nobody touched his precious papers.”

“Humor me,” Seto said, feeling a strange sensation creeping up his spine. “Play it from the start of the day.”

He saw the papers, strewn all over the interns’ table. He saw them filing in, one after the other. Sharona had been one of several to thumb through them, curiously, but she didn’t write. She had a pen in her hand, but it clearly didn’t touch the paper. Jason stormed up and tore them out of her hands before she was able to write anything down.

A feeling of anger rose up in his chest as he watched Jason lay into her, without any of her colleagues jumping in her defense. Even through the hazy filters from the camera, he could see the temper flashing in her eyes. 

Jason dumped the papers unceremoniously on a desk and stomped away. Nobody approached them until he himself showed up. He was tempted to fast forward the conversation, but he was struck with just how tense the interns looked in the background. As if they were expecting an explosion any moment. 

They got it. When Seto left, Jason laid into Sharona again, accusing her of tampering with the blueprints. This time, the others did seem to speak for her, but it wasn’t until she started pointing to the camera that Jason seemed to backtrack a bit. There was no audio, but Seto didn’t need it. 

“And then Mr de Vigny came here?” he asked the techs.

“Yeah. He seemed to think the blonde had tried to embarrass him. He was a bit disappointed when we showed him this.”

He bet he was. 

And yet…

Jason seemed to know immediately that Sharona was to blame. And Sharona seemed certain that the cameras would vindicate her. It was a lot of certainty from people who didn’t know each other too well. Seto asked the techs to play footage from engineering from the entire week at four times the speed, curious about his employees’ interactions when he wasn’t there. He studied how the new hires worked - always in their little group, excluding Sharona unless they had no choice. He watched Jason lord over them. He saw him usher Sharona in a corner in the morning, waving a sheet of paper in her face before directing her to do the test that Seto had sent.

Even as a 2-D image, he could see the tense set of her shoulders, her clenched jaw. It was painfully familiar.

In fact, it reminded him of how he’d felt when he’d first been adopted.

_ Danger, danger. You don’t want to go there. _

“That’s enough,” Seto said, straightening up. “Thank you. You have done good work.”

The techs beamed uncertainly while he filed out. They didn’t understand what had happened or why he was happy. He supposed it didn’t matter.

The engineering lab was empty when he went past it, but the employee parking was still full. Seto walked up to the viewing deck overlooking it just in time to see Sharona climb into a beaten up red van and maneuver it expertly out of its space. She didn’t seem bothered by the too-narrow lanes or the cars that pulled out with the driver clearly not paying attention. In fact, she seemed supernaturally calm behind the wheel.

_ This is bad. This is really, really bad. _

He didn’t need a distraction right now. Didn’t want a woman to remind him of his childhood self, didn’t need to have any confused feelings for an employee. Nothing about her told him she was special at all - just stubborn and a fast study. She certainly wasn’t a genius.

But he couldn’t let himself do wrong by her, either. He could reward her good qualities without getting drawn into some ridiculous psycho-social re-enactment of his childhood. 

He didn’t even like her.

He didn’t.

So why did he then return to his office and spend three hours thumbing through Civilization, wondering which comments were hers? Why did his fingers itch to pick up a pen and add his own observations to the margins?


	6. Solutions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> Just an imagination that's been tickled.

“So who do you think won?” 

Sharona did not react. Her ghostly colleagues were still talking at her all the time, although they seemed to have given up on her ever answering. That was good. It was better for them.

Plus, she wasn’t particularly interested. She had certainly not done a good job of it herself. She’d made sure of that. In fact, she’d been so disgusted by her own mediocrity that she’d complained at home - prompting Sally to warn her that if she didn’t shut up, she’d personally steal the files for her to work on the damned prototype until it was so perfect Kaiba would kick himself for not putting it on the market. 

Jason swanned into the lab, looking distinctly pleased with himself.

“Well, ladies and gents, let’s not keep you waiting,” he said, holding out a pale envelope with the company logo. “The winner of the contest yesterday is… Aaron.”

Sharona plastered a smile on her face and clapped politely, as the boy who had stood up for her once got up and accepted the envelope. 

“Closest to the solution Mr Kaiba came up with by far,” Jason said. “You get to spend the weekend at the Dueling Monsters tournament of Maximilian Pegasus with a friend, all expenses paid. How about that, eh?”

Aaron’s smile fell a little bit, but then he remembered his audience and beamed again. 

“Now,” Jason said, “as with all good news, there is some bad ones as well.” The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. “The test yesterday wasn’t just to see which ones of you are innovative, but also which ones of you do not belong in engineering. Sharona—” he turned the full power of his glare on her “—I’m afraid that Mr Kaiba has asked to see you.”

Despite her efforts not to show too much emotion, that was too quick. Too unexpected. Her jaw dropped. 

“I told him that he needn’t waste his precious time on this matter, but he insisted,” Jason added.

Clearly, she’d graduated to public humiliation.

Rising slowly, she picked up her bag and turned to her fellow interns. _ Grace and dignity _ she reminded herself as she said: “It was a pleasure to work with all of you.”

“Wheat from chaff,” muttered Jason as he was walking her to the elevator. “You are damn lucky to get personally fired, you know that, right?”

She said nothing. What was the point? If she sassed back, he’d just get meaner. If she agreed, he’d think she was being insolent. No fucking way would she cry. She’d come to this program on her own two feet - she was walking out the same way. 

But damn! Really, Kaiba was going to fire her himself? 

Her disappointment was palatable. Not one week ago, she and Seto Kaiba had been working side by side. He hadn’t hated her work - in fact, he’d seemed glad to have her. And despite her efforts not to read too much into it, Sharona was now, very clearly, upset about the turn of events.

Jason deposited her in front of the office, telling the PA on the front desk that he’d brought “the troublemaker” as expected. The lad nodded politely, and then said to her, “Mr Kaiba is in the conference suite. He’ll be seeing you there.”

***

She didn’t even have time to compose herself on approach. The conference suite - aka, a boardroom table surrounded by a glass partition - could be seen from across the floor, so she was visible to anybody inside. And they were visible to her.

Seto Kaiba stood with his back to the door, staring out the window. A woman with brown hair and striking, jewel-colored suit, sat at the end of the table, giving her a bright smile. No lab coat or jumpsuit? She had to be someone important.

He hadn’t turned as she’d come in. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do.

“You… asked to see me, sir?” The sir was just for the other woman. She had much better names to call him when she was alone in the car.

“I did.” He gestured at the table. “Sit down.”

Right, so that he could loom over her and make her feel like a child at the principle’s office. “I’ll be more comfortable standing, if it’s all the same to you,” she replied.

That got him to turn around, finally. He studied her up and down as if looking for an injury. “Your personnel file doesn’t mention a disability,” he said.

“Old injury,” she embellished on the spot. “It acts out occasionally.”

She didn’t tell him that the injury was on her arm and that it was less acting out and more mind-shattering pain. He didn’t need to know. He didn’t deserve to know. 

There was enough truth in that statement to get him to back off on her sitting, at least. Remembering his manners, he introduced the woman as Gretchen from HR, then pulled out the blueprint she’d been working on from yesterday. “I was surprised to see that,” he said, pushing it toward her. “Given what you demonstrated when we were working together, I assumed you would deliver something different.”

Sharona pursed her lips. “I guess yesterday wasn’t my day.” She glanced at Gretchen again. “Am I in trouble?”

“No,” Seto said, frowning. “Why would you think that?”

_ Because Jason said so. _ It was nearly on the tip of her tongue and then she stopped herself. She couldn’t lay her cards on the table. This sort of thing got you burned.

So she shrugged.

Seto pushed the blueprint and a pencil across the table from her. “I’d like you to have a second go at this. Think of another solution.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because we don’t give up in Kaiba Corp, Ms Ward. And I don’t think you’d be happy with your performance yesterday either.”

She frowned. Gretchen wasn’t intervening. In fact, all she seemed to do was scribble in her writing pad. 

“Or was I wrong?” he asked. “Are you proud of this?”

No. She wasn’t. Meeting his eyes across the table, she took the pencil and leaned over the blueprint, as if reminding herself of the spec. She didn’t need to. Sharona had practically been dreaming of it all of last night. She knew what she’d wanted to do the day before and she’d held back out of fear of standing out too much. 

Well, now she had stood out in a bad way, and she was about to be handed her walking papers. If she was leaving before her first month was up, she was going to do so with a bang. 

Her hand flew across the blueprint, as she scribbled notes, made alterations, and calculated electric flow in her head. Screw asking for calculators. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but when she straightened up, both Kaiba and Gretchen had gotten coffees and were sitting on the table, observing her.

“Done.” She pushed the blueprint across to him. “Still not sellable, though. The core design is shit.”

Gretchen raised an eyebrow as Kaiba studied the plan. Sharona bit the inside of her mouth, trying not to sneer. 

“Thought as much,” he said, finally looking up. “Gretchen,” he added, “can I have a moment with Ms Ward alone?”

“I’ll be right outside the door,” she said, standing. “Would you like a coffee, Sharona?”

That was sounding less and less like an exit interview. She shook her head no, too queasy to process anything. Kaiba waited until she was out of the door, before opening a hidden compartment in the board table. Inside lay the blueprint of KL3 - the one that she and Enra had written her solution on, the one that Seto had liked so much he’d spent a weekend working on potential scenarios for. Sharona’s mouth went dry.

“You did this, didn’t you?” he asked.

“I… no. Of course not.”

He raised an eyebrow, before picking up the blueprint she’d just written on. “The handwriting is different, sure,” he said. “But you made a reasoning error in your calculation. Same one as you did here.” He took her pencil and made the correction on both papers.

She wished the ground could swallow her whole.

“Sharona,” he said, “You’re not in trouble. I promise. Just tell me the truth.”

Not in trouble. The words conjured up images in her head - cops promising that there wouldn’t be repercussions for snitching; foster parents saying she wasn’t in trouble for something another kid had done; teachers who insisting she wouldn’t be punished for helping someone cheat on a test. All lies.

***

He watched her jaw tensing and he knew that she wasn’t going to give him shit.

The attitude - the whole you’ll-never-take-me-alive thing - was so painfully familiar to him, he might as well have been going down his own memory lane. It was bad enough when he vaguely approved of the damn woman. Now she had to stand there, reminding him of every time he’d tried to pull a brave face to Gozaburo Kaiba. 

Seto could try to cajole her or threaten her. But if it were him, that would have made him clam up completely and forever. So he did something he wished someone had done with him. He was honest.

“I saw the security footage from the lab,” he said. “You never approached the table. I also saw Jason yelling at you before I came in, and after I left. I saw him get in your face multiple times during the week, too. Did he suggest you were hired just because you’re a woman? Or because you had a spotty academic record?”

Sharona pursed her lips. “Neither,” she said. “In fact, he was the same to everyone else.”

“Which is?”

“Condescending.”

“And that made you want to show him up.”

Now she was smiling. “Who wouldn’t?”

Seto cocked his head to the side. “I haven’t told anybody about this,” he said, tapping the blueprint of the KL3. “It doesn’t have to leave this room. But I want to know if Jason presented your work as his own. It’s not just me being facetious, Sharona. If he doesn’t know what he’s doing, I need to at least mitigate that.”

She nodded, imperceptibly. Was that a yes?

“You were sure the cameras would be on your side.” 

“There was a power outage,” she said. “Very briefly, while Jason was talking us through something in the other lab. I saw the camera go off, and it has a 60 second reboot speed. I made the most of it.” 

That sounded truthful. 

So why was he not convinced?

“That’s a lot to write in 60 seconds.”

“Did you not time me just now?”

He clicked a few buttons and the top of the table slid back into place. Sassing him and avoiding the question - she was definitely hiding something. But she wasn’t lying about the core of the matter. She’d done the amendments that he’d liked the most, and she’d done it out of spite. What she would do if she was happy and left to her own devices? He shuddered to think.

“A promise is a promise. This doesn’t leave the room. But I’m glad you told me.”

“So what now?” she asked as he gestured for Gretchen to come back indoors. “I mean, Jason is expecting me to get fired.”

“Fired?” Gretchen asked, frowning at Seto. “I thought this was about an internal transfer.”

“It is,” he pulled out a sheath of papers and a brochure for Logistics, pushing it toward Sharona. “Ms Ward’s supervisor at Engineering is not being very helpful in her learning. Having observed their interactions, I would like to propose a change of department.”

Sharona was frowning harder than he’d ever seen her. Then she opened the papers and read the detail of her assignment. “The tenth floor?” she said.

“Kalvin didn’t get any apprentices in this round of hires,” Seto explained. “He doesn’t get the most glamorous roles, but the scenery is far nicer from his offices.”

She stood still, waiting for some trap to spring. Seto nodded at the HR rep, who launched into a spiel about variety, the joys of new experiences, and the lovely, lovely world of not having to share a desk with nine other people. He knew it wasn’t a hard sell - she’d been arguing with him about toilets just this Sunday, and Kalvin was the sort of old dude who didn’t give two shits about his ego so long as the apprentices were working hard. It was a lateral move, but she got a break.

The downside was that he couldn’t get rid of Jason. Even if he was a petty asshole, “being a petty asshole” wasn’t going to fly with the unions as cause of dismissal. 

No, it was better if he separated them. And if that meant moving the lowly intern to the floor right under the C-suite? Well, that was just a shame, wasn’t it? He’d just have to learn to live with it.

Sharona was still staring at him. “So… I’m not fired for bungling that test?” she asked, putting an emphasis on ‘bungling’. In other circumstances, it would have been adorable.

“Not fired,” Seto said. “I know that your first choice was Engineering, but—” he hesitated, then shrugged. You didn’t always get your first choice in life. 

She knew that. She understood.

There was a grateful glimmer in her eye as she said, “Where do I sign?” 

***

A few weeks passed uneventfully.

If any of the interns (or Jason, for that matter) were surprised at Sharona being moved, they didn’t express it. Every morning, she took the stairs to the tenth floor, worked through lunch, and then ran back down at the end of the day, timing her departure so as to avoid any awkward confrontations in the parking lot. It was easy - Kalvin was a supervisor who always found things for her to do, but made the work fun. If she ever thought about missing Engineering, it was for the equations.

Well… the equations, and the fact that Seto Kaiba had a lot fewer occasions to visit.

It turned out - as she told her friends over dinner - that her boss didn’t need to micro-manage a competent department. In fact, he had so much faith in Kalvin, he only ever saw the man around the coffee machines, where the two would banter for about two minutes before returning to their respective tasks. Sharona almost never ran into the CEO in this way. She got so much peace and quiet, she’d started to jump when she heard a noise on the floor. 

“Not that I mind,” she insisted, as she and Lilly pored over the accounting book they’d set up at home. “It’s actually quite relaxing.”

“I’m not sure what that has to do with balancing the budget,” Lilly said, “but okay.”

There really wasn’t much to balance. Four combined salaries, a frugal lifestyle, and one rickety car made for a decent living, but the money they were setting aside for their debt seemed pathetic in comparison. On the table sat another letter from “The Tao Clan”, informing them that their first payment had been disappointing and that they would have to do better in the future. 

Sally had looked at it and stormed out the house. 

Ellie had read it and nearly thrown up when she’d pointed out the interest rate at the bottom.

Sharona and Lilly, being the highest earners of the moment, had sat down to work out what could be done. “I can take a few more clients,” Lilly said. “But that would mean going into the weekend. Plus, my boss has an overtime fee that will make the tax man blush.”

“Not a good idea, annoying the tax man,” Sharona sighed. She tapped the pencil against the table, thinking. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to take on more, either.” She supposed she could ask Seto Kaiba. He was only one floor above her now. She knew he was the first one in the building and the last one out, and that he was more likely to spend his weekends in the lab than out of it. What if she caught in early one day, before his PA had shown up, and casually asked him if she could pick up a few more hours? Maybe she could tease him a bit, say that if he kept working like that, he’d have to fire himself for blowing the overtime budget. He would stare at her with those cool, blue eyes, and then ask what she was willing to do for those hours. And she’d smirk and drop her dress…

_ Whoa, there, that escalated quickly. _

Lilly stared at her with curious eyes, as Sharona rubbed her head and groaned. Next to her, Enra Enra turned a deep shade of crimson.

“Dare I ask?” The brunette adjusted her spectacles. “Or am I better off guessing?”

“Just tattoo ‘big idiot’ on my forehead and leave it at that,” she said, fuming with embarrassment. 

Yet, was it really that much of a leap? He’d gone out of his way to be nice to her; he’d actually investigated why her test had been so terrible; he’d even realized her reasoning error (stupid, rookie mistake) had been the same as on that other plan, like a nerdy blueprint version of Cinderella’s shoe. What woman wouldn’t be flattered by that?

“Flattery is one thing,” Lilly said, as if reading her mind. “Riding your boss might be a step too far.”

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t do that anymore!” Sharona said, blushing deeper.

“You were talking out loud, lady. Don’t expect me not to comment.”

So now she had lost her brain-to-mouth filter, too. Brilliant.

“I didn’t say I was going to ride him.”

“What would the fun be otherwise?”

Sharona buried her head in her hands and groaned. Lilly patted her back. “There, there. Would it help you if I told you of the dickheads I meet at my workplace?”

“Is he one of them?”

“No.”

“Shame,” Sharona said. “It would have made life easier for me.”

_ It really would have, wouldn’t it? If he really was a bastard to his employees, or got off on humiliating people. Sure, he’s arrogant, and rude, and has a very high opinion of his dueling skills, but it’s not like any of that is unwarranted. _

Lilly patted her back again. “All of this is finite,” she said. “One day, all of our problems will be over, and we will be free to date whatever dull, nonthreatening dudes we can find. Preferably ones with mediocre jobs that won’t act like we are totally out of their leagues.” 

“The problem is, those guys would be definitely out of our leagues,” Sharona said. “I weep at the thought.”

“Fine. We’ll die as old maids, surrounded by unused floggers and an army of cats. Happy?”

“At least the cats would be good company.” She looked at the clock. Sally had stormed out over three hours ago and still there was no sign of her. Was she in trouble? Would the police be knocking on their door tonight? Sharona could think of several places the redhead could have gone to, and none of them were good.

“Perhaps I should proposition him,” she said, suddenly. “He’s rich, right? I’m sure three million is nothing for him.”

“Sharona, I want you to hear me out on this,” Lilly said, gently, “nothing you can give that guy sexually is worth three million dollars, okay?”

“But he—”

“Nothing. Not one thing in the world.” Lilly held her eyes. “Trust me on this, okay.”

“Don’t you have a bit of a double standard here?”

“I do not, because it’s not nearly the same,” she says. “Most of the time, I work out of a call center. If I have to go to a job personally, I’m always accompanied by a guard. My boss takes a cut of the profits. The clients ask for recreational beatings and only touch me if they are kissing the tip of my boot. What you’re suggesting is putting out for a guy that you like in the hopes that he would magically solve our money problems because he’s in love with you. Get a damn grip.”

Well, when she put it that way…

Sharona didn’t have time to feel embarrassed, though. The door of the apartment banged open and Sally stumbled in, shirt in disarray and her knuckles bleeding. She seemed startled - and a little sheepish - to find her two friends awake and waiting for her.

“Hey,” she said, failing to be casual. “What did I miss?”

“Sharona wanting to prostitute herself to her boss,” Lilly said. “Don’t worry. I talked her out of it.”

“Good. I don’t want to have to tie her up until she comes to her senses.” The redhead dug through her pocket and threw a wad of bills on the table. “Here. Put that toward the pot.”

Sharona didn’t even touch them. 

Anger - bright and hurtful - raged through her. “What the hell did you do?”

Sally shrugged. “I got an opportunity to make some money. I did.”

“Goddamn it, I told you, we are going to do this the right way!” she hissed, mindful of waking Ellie or Millie from the next room. Sally raised an eyebrow.

“Riiiight. What were you saying about your boss then?”

Sharona wanted to slap her. “You promised,” she said, tears in her eyes. “You promised you wouldn’t do stupid shit again.”

“It was legit. Some dude needed a fighter who looked good in booty shorts. I took him up.” Sally shrugged again. “They even held off a cut for taxes.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“No?” she leaned in. “And if I told you that maybe I don’t like you and Lilly having to shoulder the burden by yourselves? What if I told you I actually wanted to help, too?”

“There’s got to be a better way.”

“Like what? Sacrificing your own dignity for our sake?” 

Sharona breathed hard, staring at her friend. Then she grabbed her jacket and headed out the door.

She needed a library. Right fucking now.


	7. Strange attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh!
> 
> I am massively procrastinating tho.

Another sleepless night. This was going to turn into a routine soon.

Seto sighed as he turned into the Kaiba Corp parking. Who was he kidding, he was already in trouble. The problems were running through his head every waking moment, they followed him as he closed his eyes, they even followed him in the middle of his most grueling workouts - and that was supposed to help him relax and clear his mind. 

The problem was that the engineering solution to KL3’s energy needs was just there - just outside of his reach. And his whole team seemed incapable of finding it. He thought that if he applied himself to the problem, if he threw his whole mental capacity at it, it would yield.

It should have yielded.

Why was he failing then?

He parked in his usual spot and climbed out, grumbling under his breath. Then he stopped halfway to the door of his building and slowly turned around.

For the first time in forever, his wasn’t the first car in the employee lot. A beat up red van sat in the far corner, looking like a forlorn pet. 

Seto rubbed his hand across his face and slowly crossed the parking lot. It was so early, even the night guard wasn’t gone yet. Did she take the bus home by accident? Had there been a problem with her vehicle last night? 

He inspected the tires first, but there was no obvious sign of a flat. Then he peeked in.

Sharona Ward lay across the backseat, head pillowed on her ragged bag, a spiral notebook in one hand. She was in uniform, but that was just about it.

Strangely irritated, he rapped on her glass, once. She sat bolt upright, smacking her head against the roof of the car. Even through the locked doors, he could hear her cussing a blue streak. 

Kalvin would have been proud.

Catching his eye, her triad suddenly died down. Smiling sheepishly, she unlocked the car and slipped out. “Good morning, sir.”

“Is it now?” he asked, frowning. Her hair was mussed and her eyes were bloodshot. A woman who had slept in her car, basically. “Need I remind you that sleeping on the premises is not permitted for employees.”

“Good thing I’m an intern then,” she beamed, but the joke fell flat when a yawn nearly split her head open. “Sorry. I— I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I didn’t sleep on the premises all night. I only got here half an hour ago.”

It was a quarter past six. Even he had had more sense than that. He kept scrutinizing her. 

“I was at the university library.”

“They didn’t card you at the door?”

“Something about my face must be youthful,” she shrugged. “That, or they just didn’t care. I was going to stay until eight, but a couple chose the stacks next to mine to have sex, so I decided to leave.”

His eyebrows went all the way up. Seconds later, colour flooded her cheeks.

“Why were you in the library in the first place,” he asked, as he set off toward the building. He was only mildly surprised that she was able to keep up, matching his long strides with her own. “Don’t tell me that Kalvin gave you homework.”

“Not Kalvin. I—” she frowned. Her earlier filter-failure seemed to have rattled her, and she was chewing on the inside of her cheek again, debating what she ought to say. 

Did she realize her tells were this obvious to him? Or was she just clueless?

He nodded toward the notebook in her hands. “Does it have something to do with that?”

Sharona pursed her lips. “Maybe.” The two headed for the stairs automatically. Neither seemed particularly keen on elevators. Seto was glad - climbing eleven flights was bound to give him a good wake-up kick, and it would probably do the same for her. 

By floor three, he realized he’d made a mistake.

Sleepless nights and rubbish exercise meant pain and shortness of breath and sweat. Worse, he was wearing one of his thicker suits, and he was probably going to have to change it the second he got to his office.

Sharona? She moved like the Duracell bunny. By floor four, they were side to side. By floor six, she was gaining. By floor seven, she was so far up ahead, he couldn’t look up without seeing her long legs and firm backside. How was it that the woman could make walking up a flight of stairs sexy? The bun at the back of her head was bouncing with every step, and all he could do was huff and puff like the big bad wolf?

“You alright?” she called as they hit floor nine. 

“Just grand,” he replied. “You’re full of energy this morning.”

“You know when you manage to solve a difficult problem? It makes one feel good.” She stopped at the Logistics floor and waited for him to catch up. Her eyes were twinkling, and her chest was rising and falling quickly. 

_ Exercise. It was the exercise. _ Or at least that’s what he told himself.

“Yeah?” he breathed, licking his lip instinctively. “Show me then.”

Goddamn it if her pupils didn’t dilate when he said that. She swallowed, clutching her notebook a tiny bit before opening it to a dogeared page and holding it out to him. “I didn’t solve everything,” she said, finally. “But I focused on this one bit.”

_ Eyes on the math, Kaiba, _ he ordered himself. 

And the math…

The math did not disappoint.

“I see you finally started using a calculator,” he said, carefully reading through the pages. His head span. “Is this… your solution to the conductor problem?”

She nodded, blushing a little more. “I couldn’t use the university’s electronic database,” she explained. “And the open access journals are kind of sparse on the topic. If you want to read the latest publications, you have to go and dig yourself.” 

“So you spent the night reading on alloys and experiments on conductivity.” He shook his head. “This could work. If the hydrogen cells and the storage batteries behave as we expect, the combination could work. But have you worked it up on the simulator?”

The answer was no. She couldn’t have. That was on the computers in Engineering, and she couldn’t even get inside the lab without a salaried person accompanying her.

“I worked up the theory,” she said, reaching out to flick to the relevant page. “The other experiments we did helped me narrow down the parameters. I have three possible combos that you could test before working up a prototype.”

“Why do this?” he asked, catching her unawares. “You’re no longer in that department. Aren’t you happy with your new posting?”

Sharona looked baffled, then - a tiny bit - lost. “Of course I am happy. I just—” she paused, shrugged “—I couldn’t sleep last night. So I thought I might as well make the most of it.”

“Really? Other people go clubbing, or bothering their boyfriends. You go and do equations?” Just how lonely was this woman’s life? 

Those lips pursed, and he knew she was about to sass him before she so much as inhaled. “Maybe I’m desperate for money, and I’m hoping to make a fortune on this patent,” she said.

“You’re a Kaiba Corp intern. You don’t think I can lawyer up on you?”

She shrugged. “Maybe I’m hoping that you’d let me take credit, out of the goodness of your heart.”

No person in the world would speak like that to him, if they were genuinely afraid he’d screw them over. Her trust was disarming. 

And he wanted to back her up against a wall and kiss her.

The impulse passed through him, lightning fast, leaving him shaky and ill-at-ease. 

This woman was his employee. She was brilliant, energetic, and damn dedicated to her work. Yet, what he wanted to do was bury his fingers in that hair and devour her mouth. He wanted to own her, to make her scream his name. 

What in the living hell was his problem?

“That’s not how it works,” he finally said, voice weak. Handing her the notebook back, he added. “Work these scenarios up on the program. Try to write as detailed as you can, then label it all and send them to me. Don’t forget to save a copy with a timestamp and your name on it. You need to do this the right way.” Did he mean to make his voice sound so harsh? No. But the way she swallowed and widened her eyes, it had had the necessary effect. She was backing up from him. 

“So… you want to see these done good and proper,” she said.

“Yes.”

“And you want me to hold onto proof that it’s mine.”

“Yes.”

She nodded, slowly. “Okay.”

Seto took a deep breath. “There’s time before the start of the work day. If you want to get started.”

Sharona nodded again.

“Good. I… I’ll be in my office.” And with that, he bounded up the stairs as if his coat was on fire.

***

She was decidedly unproductive that day.

Despite the early start (or late start, depending on interpretation) she was so distracted all morning, Kalvin had to order her to do a data cleaning task lest she accidentally order several miles of unnecessary piping. She was tempted to say her piping was a problem, but mercifully, Enra stopped her on time. 

The reason wasn’t the buzz she’d gotten from solving a small fraction of the company puzzle. Oh no - that would have been too easy. In all honesty, she wanted to put off writing the whole thing on the computer, and examining all the weaknesses and errors. She wanted to hold onto the idea that she had hit a solution, all by herself, and that she would be hailed as the savior of a project that she was no longer even a part of. 

No.

The reason for her distraction was much more embarrassing.

_ Do this the right way. _

How could five little words sound so… wrong? 

Lilly was right. She was acting a fool, and she had no-one to blame but herself. The signs were all there - the growing fondness, the constant looking for the man, holding onto every compliment like it meant something. What would be next? Writing their initials on her notebook and decorating them with hearts and arrows? How humiliating was that?

Worse, she could swear that _ maybe, perhaps, potentially, _ he was not entirely indifferent to her, too. After all, he made it clear he suffered no fools. His senior employees frequently got the sharp end of his tongue. Meanwhile, there she was, an intern of not two months, presuming to know how to solve all his issues. By now, he should have put her in her place.

He hadn’t.

And the look he’d given her on the landing this morning had been positively _ feral _ for a moment.

Sharona bit her lip. _ Idiot. Your romanticism is going to be the death of you. _

However he felt toward her - good, bad, or indifferent - didn’t matter. She couldn’t get involved. What if Ren Tao decided to send his zombies out to give her and her friends a little more encouragement? What if Seto got caught in the middle? She tried imagining telling him about ghosts and zombies and the tournament and what she’d done, and couldn’t. He would probably run for the hills.

Worse - what if he did believe her? What if he offered to take on the debt for himself? Sure, that might get rid of the zombies and the ally-turned-vindictive-bastard, but that would just mean getting out from under one rich dude and under another. 

No. Even if things turned out the best way possible - no. She had some dignity left. 

That same dignity left her late at the office again, finishing off the tasks until the last of the senior employees on the floor announced he was leaving. She locked her notebook in her new desk drawer and headed out, pondering what conversation she was about to have with her friends tonight. Sally, Ellie, and Lilly would insist she focus on the work alone. She’d call them hypocrites and they’d start another quiet row. Then Millie would suggest getting a job herself, and they would all tell her no, making her cry. 

_ Plus ca change… _

She was so distracted, she nearly missed the tall figure standing by her car. Then it hopped into view, causing her to gasp and drop her bag.

It was a _ jiangshi. _

Specifically, it was a jiangshi without a sigil on his face. He grinned nastily at her. “The indebted,” he said. “A pleasure.”

Sharona swallowed and tried to take stock of her situation. The parking lot was nearly empty. She was in a dark corner. This was a very bad situation. Enra Enra appeared, summoned by her distress, but she didn’t bring out her weapon. 

For all she knew, the whole purpose of this was to provoke her.

“You have me at a disadvantage,” she said. “I do not know your name.”

“You don’t have to. I come bearing a message from my master.”

“We’re trying to get his money. We will get it.”

“You think money solves it all?” the jiangshi sneered. His rotting, stiff face, made the grimace all the worse. “You dealt my master a great humiliation. He will have his revenge in blood alone.”

“Nobody is bleeding anywhere,” Sharona said firmly. “And if your master wants to change the terms of his demands, he can do so himself. Or is he too much of a coward to do so.”

The monster bared his teeth. He looked ready to attack, when a call rang through the parking lot. No, not a call. It was her name. 

She nearly panicked and summoned a weapon, before the jiangshi attacked Seto. But instead of going for the offense, the monster disappeared in a flash, vanishing into the trees.

Had he… scared him?

Seto came up to her… ran up, really.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Who was that man?”

“Man?” she repeated, dazed.

“There was a man. Talking to you.” He frowned, peering down at her in the dim light. “Are you okay? What did he do to you?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head. She had to go home. She had to find her girls. “That was nothing. I— I have to go, excuse me…” She stopped short, though.

The tires of her car were shredded.

All four of them.


	8. Favorism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope... still don't own Yu Gi Oh or Shaman King.
> 
> For those of you wandering why I'm updating this instead of my Star Wars fics... I desperately needed a palette cleanser after the last chapter. (Dudes. A galaxy without social services is a grim place to write about.)

Someone had threatened her.

She didn’t have to say anything for him to know - her whole body was shaking like a leaf, and her face was devoid of color as he ushered her indoors to call the AA. Just seeing her hands tremble as she dialed was confirmation enough, and it made him angry.

No. Angry was a term reserved for blunders and awkward employees.

He was furious.

Beyond reason.

“Pull the security tapes from the lot,” he told the night guard quietly, as she spoke to the toll service across the lobby. “I want to see who tampered with her vehicle.”

“Nobody tampered with my car,” Sharona said, coming up behind him. “And there wasn’t any man. Really.”

“I saw it morning,” he said, barely stopping himself from lashing out. “Unless you were dirt racing on your lunch break, this is a sign of tampering.”

She pursed her lips. “I need to make another call.”

“Very well.” It gave him more time to review the camera footage. And work up to complex sentences.

“Shall I call the police, sir?” the night guard asked. He looked about fourteen and woefully underqualified. Seto wondered whether he was an intern too. 

“See what she says.” He couldn’t well do that on her behalf. “I’m more concerned with the security of my premises.”

He kept an eye on her as she paced the lobby, muttering into her phone and running her hands through her hair. She was going to undo that bun soon if she wasn’t careful. 

Not that it made any difference. Not to him.

The security guard brought up the footage from the lot, but there was no sign of her car. As if fate itself was having a laugh at his expense, she’d parked in the only blind spot that there was in the whole of the company. He did see a shadow run in the far end, just as he made his own running approach.

“Put a note in with maintenance,” Seto said. “The cameras should catch all the parameter, not just bits of it.”

The boy looked like he might cry. For fuck’s sakes, it wasn’t that unreasonable a request.

Seto stomped off to where Sharona was still talking on the phone.

“No… no, I get it, I’m sorry too.” She glanced at him, eyes wary. “Listen… have Ellie and Lilly take a cab to work. I’ll cover it… Yes, and back. Don’t leave Millie alone tonight, Sally, you understand? Yeah. Yeah. No, I’m in the lobby. No.” She locked eyes with Seto again. “No, I’m not alone. Okay. I’ll text you as I head back.”

He wasn’t going to push. He wasn’t.

But that didn’t mean he would leave her alone. “Would you like a tea while you wait for the AA?” he was tempted to offer something stronger, but that was a HR nightmare of a separate proportion. 

“I’m fine.” She shook her head. “You should go home, sir. This’ll take a while.”

Right. And leave her in the lobby while some tire-slashing maniac prowled the streets. He could just see the outcome splashed in the papers: _ Promising intern axe murdered. Employer too lazy to look after her. _

Seeing as they were the last people in the building, he went into the kitchen to make her a hot tea, and one for himself. He returned to find her talking to the security lad, making him laugh and blush like a schoolboy. “Really,” she was saying, as he approached. “It wasn’t your fault. Don’t beat yourself up for it.”

“I would say keeping an eye on security cameras is exactly his job,” Seto said, placing the mug next to her elbow.

Sharona didn’t take it. “If I’m not mistaken,” she said, voice glacial, “I left just as the handover was happening. Whomever vandalized my car just picked a good time. If, indeed, it was vandalized in the first place.”

Had he been a lesser man, his jaw would have dropped about now. Of all the things she could be mad for, she picked this?

Worse, she wasn’t about to let up. In fact, she looked ready to fight him then and there in the lobby, over some kid who barely looked old enough to shave.

Seto grit his teeth. He was a CEO. He could pick his own battles, damn it. “You’re right,” he said, then handed the second tea over to the kid. “My bad. You can’t control where the cameras are pointing. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

The guard looked like he might piss himself. Or possibly die.

“M… ma’am, maybe you should sit in the office?” he asked, looking between the two. “It’s more comfortable in there.”

The security office? Seto glanced inside and shuddered. No way. No way. He was about to say she was coming back to the tenth with him, when Sharona interrupted. “I’d rather sit in the lobby, Jamie. I don’t want to miss the tow truck. But thank you.” She gave the boy a smile. He preened. “I appreciate this a lot.”

Seto grit his teeth again, then shot a text to Mokuba and followed her to the couches.

At least she took the drink he made for her. That was something.

As they sat down, he reminded himself that he was just doing due diligence and making sure she was okay before going home. He couldn’t well leave an employee in a bad state, could he? Especially if the only other adult in the building had other duties. If there were others milling around, they were very unlikely to just sit with an intern. 

Especially when that intern was suddenly shy about making eye contact.

The situation was comical. Just this morning, his reaction to her made him blush like a schoolboy… they’d been so familiar with each other, their banter had felt like the most natural thing. He’d told himself that he had to try harder, he had to maintain some sort of professional boundary. 

And now he’d give everything for them to not sit in awkward silence.

Eventually, he gave up. He had to know. “How many roommates do you have?”

Sharona frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Just now. I heard you talking about several people, but their names all sounded exactly the same.”

She took a sip of her tea. For a moment it seemed like she wouldn’t answer, and then, “Their names are Lilian, Sarah-Jane, Millicent, and Eleanor. As you might imagine, they don’t go by them in everyday life. The fact that the nicknames all end in ‘lee’…” She shrugged. “They seem to find it hilarious, so who am I to judge?”

“Not interested in changing yours to match?”

“The only ‘Shelly’ I’ve ever known was that spoiled little rich girl in _ Jabberjaw _.” She shuddered. “No thanks.”

That was a pretty fair point, he had to concede. He drummed his hand against the armrest of his chair, wishing he had something to occupy himself with. A coffee. Or maybe a whiskey. “And you all live together? You don’t want a place of your own?”

“Have you seen the property prices around here?”

Lie. A truthful-sounding lie - it really was expensive to rent around the city - but a lie nonetheless. She did this a lot - made statements with a bright smile and a wink in her eye, honest enough not to raise suspicion, but not the whole truth, either. Try to pick the falsehood from the lie and you got sucked in a vortex. 

In a flash, he remembered what she’d said to him earlier. _ Maybe I’m desperate for the money. Maybe I’m hoping you’d let me take credit. _ She’d sounded like she was teasing him, but was she? How much of it was a lie?

“How long have you known each other?” he asked, instead of going further down the rabbit hole.

Sharona sipped her tea again. “Most our lives. Millie, I’ve known since she was a baby.” Her expression became tender and she gave a smile. “We all grew up on the same street. When we decided to move out, it just made sense to do it together, too.”

She put a strange emphasis on ‘move out’. Like she’d had a different word on her tongue and she changed it in the last moment.

“Is Millie the one who is studying for her exams? The national scholarship ones?” Seto asked. “Mokuba is doing the same.”

“Yeah.” Sharona sighed. “She’s doing our heads in, that girl. She’s got the smarts but can’t get her head around the tests. Sometimes I wonder why we bother.”

Seto grunted, indicating that he, too, found formal education to be baffling and frustrating and far worse than in his day. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t help marveling at just how much he’d learned about her in a few short sentences. 

She was smart enough to get in, and thrive, in a competitive internship, and yet never stayed in one place long enough to finish a formal qualification. She was passionate about her work but gave up credit easily. She earned decent money, (after all, he’d approved her salary) but shared an apartment with four other people - and one was a minor. 

And then there was her car…

She’d been menaced. That fact was not up to debate - not when her hands were still shaking. But she was lying through her teeth about it - meaning she wasn’t going to go to the police or even her insurer to sort it out. 

Did Sharona realize just how much she was revealing? Or did she just not care? 

In his experience, people who went out of their way to hide like that were involved in something illegal, immoral, or both. He wondered briefly if she wasn’t just an incredibly good industrial spy, but the notion did not hold up to scrutiny. What was her exit strategy - fix his company only to tell her overlords about it after the fact?

No. If nothing else, she was drawing too much attention to herself for that to be the case.

He realized he’d been silent for a long time and scrambled to find a way to continue the conversation. “It must be nice, though. To have all these friends.”

There was that smile again. “They’re better than any of my blood relatives.”

He was tempted to ask what she meant by that when the AA truck arrived. Almost at the same time, one of the company cars pulled up and Mokuba ran into the lobby.

“What are you doing here?” he was so distracted he didn’t even follow Sharona as she went to meet the technician.

“You were gone for a long time,” his little brother said, frowning. “I was worried something had happened, Seto. And you weren’t answering my texts.”

He pulled out his cell, and sure enough, there were a dozen messages waiting for him, each increasingly alarmed. “I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing his head. “I was— I didn’t think. Ms Ward’s car was vandalized, and I’ve been sitting with her.”

“Sharona?” Mokuba asked, as if noticing just now what was unfolding on the parking lot. The AA guy was poking and prodding around the car, and making zero efforts to hurry up and change her tires. The woman in question stood there, looking distinctly pissed off, even in the dim street light. “What happened?” Mokuba looked genuinely worried.

“She won’t say.”

“But security—”

“She was parked in a blind spot.”

The conversation was getting heated. Sharona was gesticulating now, pointing at the engine with frustration.

“Those aren’t supposed to happen,” Mokuba said. “Blind spots, I mean.”

Seto nodded. “I know.” He turned to his brother. “I’m sorry I made you worry, but you should go home. This could take ages, and I don’t want to leave just yet.”

“Of course,” Mokuba said, then poked his head out and sent the company car away. “I’ll wait with you.”

That wasn’t what he’d had in mind, but then Seto caught the guard - Jamie’s - eyes, and realized that maybe having his brother as company wasn’t a bad idea after all. If nothing else, the rumor mill wouldn’t get much mileage from: “The owners stayed a bit late in the lobby because there was an accident in the parking lot.” 

“Let’s go outside,” he said, walking into the cold night and pulling his jacket closed. The AA technician was going out back to get the tow chains, while Sharona was filling in a bit of paperwork in the lamplight. Even from afar, he could see the vein throbbing on her forehead.

“That was quick,” he remarked as he drew up to her.

“Because it wasn’t just the tires,” she said, nearly stabbing the paper as she wrote. “The engine is gone.”

“Gone?”

“Totaled. See for yourself.”

He frowned. Surely this was an exaggeration - trying to make her pay for an excessive tow bill. It wasn’t until he popped the hood of the car and looked that he realized what she meant.

The engine wasn’t just off. It had been broken off and mangled, as if someone had taken a power saw to it. Probably the same one they’d taken to the tires. 

“Whoa!” Mokuba said, looking in as well. “That’s terrible.”

“That car shouldn’t have been on the road anyway,” the AA guy said, waddling over to study Sharona’s progress with the form. “You should’ve changed it years ago. A couple of signatures here, little lady, and you should grab your stuff from inside.”

“Thanks,” she said. The vein on her forehead throbbed harder. “I really appreciate it.”

“How much is this going to be to fix?” Mokuba asked.

“Fix? That thing is getting scrapped. It was a right miracle it was still operational,” the technician said.

Sharona gritted her teeth audibly as she signed. “Yes, well. It was a good first project.” She handed the clipboard back to him, then without further notice, crawled in the front seat and started emptying the glovebox. Then she pulled a big shopper bag out from the back, a duffel that seemed full of sports gear, and another duffel that looked like a folded tent. 

The AA guy whistled. “Damn, no cooking stove?” he asked.

“Left it in my other car,” she said, reshuffling her possessions so that she could carry them more easily. “Right. That’s me. You guys should go home,” she told Seto and Mokuba, as if just becoming aware of them.

Seto was pretty much ready for that, but his brother held him in place. “You don’t want to say goodbye?”

Sharona blinked. “I’m sorry, of course. Good night, Mr Kaiba,” she bowed awkwardly, the bags clunking around her shoulders. “Thank you for your patience with me tonight.”

Mokuba shook his head. “I meant to your car. I mean… you rebuilt the engine, didn’t you?”

That seemed to catch her off guard. It certainly did Seto.

Then again, his glimpse of the van’s innards hadn’t been that detailed. He’d just assumed they seemed rough-hewn because of what had just happened to them.”

Sharona’s face softened. She looked at the van, lost in thought. Then the AA guy hooked it with the tow cables, and she sighed. “Some goodbyes are not meant to be had,” she said, firmly. “And I do believe that my Uber is nearly here. I should go.”

_ Stubborn as a mule. Shelly would have suited her. _ Seto was tempted to just leave her to her fate, as he and Mokuba walked her to the curb. But then the actual Uber arrived, and he had to change his mind. 

The car looked - if anything - worse than the one she had been driving. Cracks in the windshield. Visibly soft tires. And was it him or was the front being held in place with _ duct tape? _

Before she could open the door, he leaned in and met the driver’s eye. “Never mind,” he said. “My mistake. You can go.”

Sharona let out a sound of outrage, while the man just snorted. “I’m still getting my fee,” he said before gunning the engine and driving away.

“Excuse me,” she said, as Seto straightened up and faced her. “I was going to take that.”

“Put it on your expenses. I think you’ve had enough near death experiences for one night,” he said. 

“That’s all well and good, but it’s not like the buses are running this late,” she said, gesturing vaguely at her wrist. “Anyway, I can’t keep ordering cars until I find one that tickles your fancy.”

“Exactly,” he said, putting his hand on Mokuba’s shoulder. “Which is why the two of us will drive you home.”

Her face turned puce. “You can’t.”

Daft woman. Was she honestly telling him what to do? 

Mokuba seemed pretty happy with the idea himself, which was all the encouragement he needed.

“I assure you, Ms Ward, that I have both a car, and I can operate it,” he said. “And as for driving you home, I consider this as part of my duty of care as your employer.”

“I’m pretty sure my employer is not supposed to show favorism,” she muttered. 

He pulled out his cell and entered a few commands. With HR home for the night, it was the quickest way to go around the objections. “Hmm… according to records, all other interns have both their own vehicles, and the ability to move around town without fear for their safety,” he said. “So I think it’ll be unfair treatment if I were to leave you alone.”

Mokuba nodded. “It’s just a favor, Sharona. And you’ve probably done more overtime than any other intern.”

“More than every intern combined, if your timesheets are anything to be believed.” He raised an eyebrow. “Or are you afraid of getting in a car with us.”

That seemed to do it. Jaw set, she straightened up with a clatter and gave him a haughty smile. “I’m not afraid, sir. I just hope you know what you’re getting into, driving in my neighborhood.”


	9. Tea and Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> This is probably the chapter where "this takes place in a fictional country" is the most obvious. I hope it is, anyway.

_ Idiot. Idiot, idiot, idiot. _

Sharona sat in the back seat of Kaiba’s car, wedged between the door and the meager contents of her own vehicle, and called herself seven kinds of fool.

Why did she have to be so proud? Why couldn’t she just smile and act out whatever comforting fantasy she could to get him off her back? Hell, her guardian spirit was a chameleon, she could have made Enra transform into a boyfriend come to take her home.

She was shaken up about her car. That was the only explanation. She was sad and emotional and she was latching onto any show of kindness. 

_ Pathetic. _

“You’ll want to turn here, there’s repairs going on 5th street,” she muttered, as the lights of the city center gave way to her neighborhood. “On the right, past the bodega.”

“Wow, you live pretty far away, huh?” Mokuba said. “It’ll cost you a fortune to get to work tomorrow.”

And then back. And then the next day. And the one after that, until she found a cheap enough car to buy. Goddamn, why was that jiangshi such a moron? This stunt would wipe out her bank account - she’d never be able to pay off her debt at this rate. What was the endgame there?

“I’ll be fine,” she said, exercising a monumental effort to keep her voice down. “There’s a bus during day hours.”

Mokuba didn’t seem convinced. And was it just her, or was his brother gritting his teeth?

Probably annoyed at having to babysit her. It was decent of him to sit with her in the lobby, but this was too much. She imagined him surveying his surroundings, realizing just how “diverse” his “diversity hire” was. This was a man who told glossy magazines his favorite meal was foie gras. She could just imagine what his inner monologue was looking like. 

“That’s me,” she said, pointing her building. “If you just pull to the curb, I’ll get out and you can do a U-turn later…”

“Nonsense,” Kaiba said, as he maneuvered the car into a parallel park in the residents’ area. “We’ll walk you to your door.”

“Mr Kaiba—”

“You should just resign yourself,” Mokuba said, un-clipping his seatbelt. “Hate to tell you this, but my big brother doesn’t let women walk around at night. And…” he lowered his voice dramatically “…there’s a couple of scary guys sleeping in the entrance to your building.”

She knew. She’d met them already. “Wendell and Ollie are fine,” she said as she opened her door. “Really. The other day they even held the door open for me.”

“Good to know,” Mokuba said, then picked up the lighter of her bags and pulled it out. “We’ll still help.”

She looked to his brother, but the elder Kaiba wasn’t on her side. If anything, his eyes seemed to burn brighter as she shuffled out and started to pull the duffles out the car. He took hold of the bigger one and heaved it onto his shoulder. She knew the second he realized how heavy it was, because even he couldn’t hold back a grunt of pain.

_ Yeah, probably not a good time to tell him I’m stronger than I look. _

“Seriously, if you leave your car here, it’ll be dismantled by the time you come down,” she said, while the brothers flanked her. 

“I’d like to see that happen,” Kaiba said, locking the door with a flick of his wrist.

_ Arrogant bastard. Fine, then. _

It wasn’t like she hadn’t warned him.

***

Seto kept his eye on the vinos as Sharona unlocked the front door. They didn’t seem bothered - if anything, they, too, were happy to see his employee, chatting about the weather. As she pulled the gate open, he noticed her slip them some change when she thought he wasn’t looking. Small change, sure. But really?

Indoors, the building smelled like mold and urine. There was no lift, she informed them apologetically, and she lived on the top floor. 

He considered his shoes as he climbed after her. They were nice, a soft Italian leather, and they would probably be unusable after today. He reminded himself that this was just petty nonsense, that he didn’t care, but something about this place was deeply upsetting to him. By his side, Mokuba seemed to have fallen silent.

Sharona, for her part, seemed genuinely uncomfortable. Because of her circumstances? Or because he was about to see more of her life than she intended?

_ Well, too bad, _ he thought. _ At least I can cure myself of my stupid crush now. _

Nothing could cool his ardor for a woman than seeing her in her natural environment. And her natural environment did not seem hopeful.

The door to her flat opened before she had even finished inserting her keys. Seto took an automatic step back as a tall woman with red hair and a scary looking face studied him. “Fucking finally,” she exclaimed, looking at Sharona. “What the flying fuck happened? And what…” she frowned, taking in the bags they were carrying. “Aw, hell. Don’t tell me—”

“Sharona?” a younger, sweeter voice rang out from inside the apartment. A second later another girl showed up - baby-faced, her hair cut short and blunt, and wearing what looked like a football jersey over ripped jeans. “Omigod, why have you brought the tent up?”

Seto felt, suddenly, like maybe he’d made a mistake.

“Sally. Millie,” his employee said, in a clipped voice. “This is my boss, and this is his brother. They were kind enough to give me a lift home tonight.”

“I’m Mokuba,” his brother said quickly. “This is my big brother, Seto. Nice to meet you.”

Comprehension dawned on the two women’s faces, and Millie let out a soft gasp. “Oh, no,” she whispered, then seemed to realize they were still at the door. “Oh, come in, come in.”

“You guys drove here?” Sally asked, taking both bags from Seto and Mokuba as they came across the threshold. “That’s brave. Aren’t you afraid you’ll be without a car by the end of the night?”

“You keep saying that,” Seto groused. “You had a car yourself, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but ours was a piece of sh— err… it wasn’t worth the parts it was built on,” Millie said, blushing a little as she closed the door behind them. “I mean, we didn’t think anybody would bother.”

“I’m sure nobody would bother with ours,” Seto said. 

“Oh?” Sally dropped the bags off in the corner of the living room and turned to him with a strange twinkle in her eye. “Care to place a wager on that?”

Sharona gave an unladylike squawk. “Sally!”

“Stay for a drink,” the redhead went on. “If you’re feeling lucky. It’s the least we can do to thank you.”

“By poisoning my boss? I don’t think so,” Sharona snapped. “Mr Kaiba, please don’t mind her. She’s—”

“I accept.”

“—utterly without manners…” she froze, realizing what he’d said. 

“I’ll take a tea if you have it,” Seto went on. “I’m driving.”

Sally smirked. “Coming right up. Same for you, Mokuba? Or maybe I can offer you a hot chocolate?”

Mokuba was busy staring at Millie, as if he’d never seen a girl before in his life. “Err…” he started. “Only if you’re making one for yourself…”

Sally grinned. “Will do. Mills, don’t let them go anywhere.”

“Wait, please,” Sharona said, then ran after her friend as she disappeared in the kitchen. “Sally, what the fuck?!”

The door banged closed behind her, and Seto turned to Millie, eyebrow raised. The girl couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds, soaking wet. She was even shorter than Mokuba. Yet Sally had spoken to her as if she was the security officer for the flat? This he had to see.

“Are you going to restrain us?” he asked.

“Me? Oh, I can’t stop you from leaving.” She stepped back, folded her foot, and sat gracefully down on a floor cushion. There wasn’t a single chair in the whole living room, or a proper table for that matter. But she seemed perfectly at ease looking up at him and Mokuba. 

“Was Sharona joking about the poisoning?” he asked, changing tacks.

“Sally can burn water.”

“That wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.”

Millie shrugged. “Do you want the truth, or do you want to stay?”

***

Sharona watched as her friend prepped mugs and boiled the kettle. Sally’s knuckles were still bandaged and the only reason she wasn’t spouting a black eye was because of a heavy doze of glamour she’d cast to cover up the bruising. 

“Did you get concussed last night?” she asked. “Is that what it is?”

“Nonsense. You should have seen the other guy.”

“I don’t want to see the other guy. I want to know why you’re inviting my boss over for… tea and hot chocolate.”

“You brought him.”

“He didn’t let me take an Uber.”

Sally gave a wry laugh. “Well then, he made his own bed,” she said. 

“Seriously, if you give him a laxative…”

“Chill. I just want to get a good look at him before I judge you too hard,” she said. “First impression isn’t too bad, actually. I can see what Lilly was talking about.”

Sharona barely resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall. Frustrated, she took a cloth and dried the mugs before they poured the water in. _ At least she’s using the nice tea, _ she thought.

“Was the car really destroyed?” Sally asked, voice low, just as the kettle came to a boil.

“It didn’t burst into flames, but… there wasn’t rescuing it this time.” Damn it if Mokuba hadn’t been right. She’d wanted to say goodbye to it. She’d put the electrics back together with her own two hands, and saved up to fix the engine for a year. But no - she had to be proud, she had to stay cool because she’d had an audience. She still did. “I think he feels sorry for me,” she added.

“Maybe.” Sally glanced behind her shoulder. “Oh, well… we all lost our heads over boys. Some of us more than others.” She bumped her shoulder gently.

Something about her tone made Sharona frown. 

Sure, it was hard to tell when Sally was being a pain and when she was sincere. And the last few months had been difficult for all of them - moodiness and rapid changes in humor had become the norm in their home, not the exception. But there was something extraordinarily sad about her tonight, and it put Sharona on her guard. She’d never liked the outcome when her friend was like that.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” she asked.

Sally sighed and looked over her shoulder again. “Let’s look after our guests first. I’ll tell you when Millie is asleep.”

***

Though he hated having anything in common with his step father, Seto Kaiba had to admit one thing - he shared Gozaburo’s hatred of charity events.

He was okay with donating - hell, he was happy whenever he could do it - but the song and dance with visiting orphanages, doing photo ops, and staying for a short lesson during which he was more a prop than participant… he just didn’t see the point.

His first impression of Sharona’s flat made him think of that song and dance. The unnecessary gratitude, the excess misery. It wasn’t a nice space, and it seemed all the more depressing given his knowledge that five people shared it. How big was this place? Six hundred square feet? If that? 

But at least it was tidy. And Millie didn’t seem even remotely bothered by the squalor - in fact, she and Mokuba started talking immediately about trig and what a royal pain it was. Next thing he knew, she’d pulled out her textbook and the two of them were poring over the pages, talking about how so-and-so function was never explained well, regardless of which school they went to.

He didn’t sit down, choosing instead to look around the space.

They couldn’t have been living here for too long, or else they would have had more time to decorate. Besides the cushions, the only other furniture in the room was a clothing rack in the corner. A bunch of suitcases had been piled up on top of one another in order of size and used as a makeshift bookshelf. He went over to read the spines… and check out the only picture that they’d bothered to frame and lay out.

It was from a few years ago, judging by how much shorter Millie looked in it. Sally and Sharona were unmistakable, standing between a woman with big glasses and another one that had Millie’s exact eyes and smile. The five of them posed in the middle of a street, in what he could only assume was a desert village, grinning wide and throwing the victory sign to the camera. He was mildly embarrassed to note that Sharona was wearing an ugly, old-fashioned dress, similar to the one he’d seen her in for the first time. She really did like this style, he realized. And with her hair in complicated twists, he could only assume that this was a style that she’d taken great pains to establish.

“It really is super hard,” Mokuba said, interrupting his thoughts. “I don’t know why they make us learn that.”

“Sharona says it’ll be useful for me if I ever want to become an assassin,” Millie said. “I can never tell if she’s joking or not.”

“I never joke, young lady,” the woman in question said, as she and Sally carried five steaming mugs out of the kitchen. “And just for that comment, we’ll do an additional chapter of problems over the weekend together.”

Millie stuck out her tongue. “You’re no fun!”

“I’m not supposed to be fun.” Her fingers grazed his as she handed him a mug of tea. “Careful,” she said. “It will burn the roof of your mouth.”

“Duly noted,” Seto said, studying her. She’d pulled out the pins that held her bun together, and now her hair lay over her shoulder, platted tightly. He wondered how painful it must be for her scalp every day. 

Seto tightened his fingers on the mug before he did something stupid.

“Hey, do you girls play Duel Monsters?” Mokuba asked, as Millie was putting away her books. A piece of paper had fluttered out from between the pages, with a series of letters and numbers written on it. DMG, at 600; FI, def, 300; 200 LP. “But why would anyone put a Feral Imp against Dark Magician Girl?” Mokuba asked.

Millie turned as red as a tomato. “I didn’t have other cards at the time.”

Seto winced while Sally burst into laughter. “Told you you should have laid out a trap card, kid.”

“Yeah, well… I didn’t have a trap card either.” Millie shrugged. “I play with my classmates sometimes. I’m not very good. Maybe I’ll pick up a few tips when we go to watch the next championships.”

“Oh yeah, my brother—”

“Can’t even go there anymore because it’s such a pain,” Seto said, before Mokuba could find a way to invite the whole lot of them to a Duel Monsters competition. He could see Sharona was fidgeting already - he could only imagine how she’d react to spending even more time in close proximity with him. 

“I guess having organized your own competition, it’s no longer fun,” Sally said. “I meant to ask, by the way - how’d you beat that chick in Battle City that could read your mind?”

A shiver ran down his spine. “There’s no such thing as mind reading. Or destiny,” he said.

“I don’t know, the official footage was pretty compelling,” Sally said. “She seemed awfully confident.”

“If you spend long enough in competition, you will meet all sorts of charlatans,” Seto said. “She’d probably studied my deck and my strategies, and she could talk big game. That’s it - nothing more and nothing less.”

None of the women seemed convinced. If anything, Sharona looked even more worried. _ You’re protesting too much. Relax. _

He cleared his throat. “Mokuba, maybe the two of you could play a game. If you have a deck with you.”

Sharona glanced out a window. He smirked. “Car still there?”

“Still there,” she said. “Can’t promise you anything about the inside, though.”

Seto took a sip of his tea and then leaned against the wall. Waiting. 

Luckily, Mokuba did have a deck and he was happy to play a few rounds with Millie - being the more comfortable one with friendly duels, he was a far better person to do this than him. Seto wondered, briefly, if Sharona played. She hadn’t shown the slightest interest in testing the final product, but maybe he could get her interested. If she put her mind to the game, how far would she get? 

And was he really considering that? He liked being an undisputed champion - not serving as teacher to everybody.

He turned his attention to the game the teens were playing. Millie had lost the first round in just a few goes and was now on the second one. Her brow was furrowed as she stared at her hand. Sharona coughed.

“I don’t need help,” she said. 

“I’m not offering it. I’m merely pointing out it’s a school night.”

She rolled her eyes then laid a few cards down. Mokuba activated an attack. Millie activated a shield of light, bouncing it back on Mokuba’s monster. “That’s… 500 life points down?” she asked.

“Yep. Good move.”

Zero bite in the game. Just two kids enjoying themselves.

When was the last time he’d just played for fun?

Mokuba won the second round by a smaller margin. The third nearly ended a tie, with Millie bringing his brother’s lifepoints to 10 before he managed to win. “One more round and I’d have been done for,” Mokuba announced, looking strangely pleased with himself. 

“You’d still have won the game,” Millie said, grinning. “You’re lucky we aren’t fencing, though. I’d have owned you then.”

Sharona, who had moved to stand near Seto during these proceedings, pinched the bridge of her nose and pursed her lips. “Annoyed?” Seto whispered. 

“Give her a few more minutes, and she’ll have him doing her homework,” she muttered. “I swear, we raised her to have better manners than that.”

“Her manners seem fine to me,” Seto said. “And I can see her hand from here. I don’t think she needs help with her homework.” Clearing his throat, he added, “Has the wager been settled, Sally?”

The redhead shrugged. “I don’t know. Happy to make you another drink if you have to wait for a taxi, though.”

That wouldn’t be necessary. Straightening up, Seto nodded at the two hostesses before ushering Mokuba to the door. Sharona slipped on her shoes. “I’ll walk you to the front,” she said. Defeating the whole point of being escorted up, but he wasn’t complaining. 

As the three of them descended the dark staircase (and trying to touch as little as possible from the walls), Sharona said, “I must apologize for my friends. They usually are on better behavior with strangers.”

“I had fun,” Mokuba said. “And I’m glad we got you home safe. Right, Seto?”

“Indeed.” He nearly slipped as he turned the corner on a landing. His hand grasped out and caught her wrist. Sharona didn’t even squeak - instead, her fingers gripped his, and she helped him regain his footing without missing a beat. Seto pretended to hold onto her because he couldn’t see. All the way down, he could feel her pulse thundering underneath his thumb. “Speaking of safe passage,” he added, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 6.30.”

Sharona started to protest. “I can’t, I have to—”

“I’m going to work extremely early,” he said. “It makes no difference to me to swing by and pick you up until you can replace your car.”

“Didn’t you said I can put my taxi on expenses?”

He turned to look at her. In the darkness, her eyes shone like seaglass.

“I can sweeten the deal,” he said. “I can drop off your roommate to her school while I’m at it, too.”

“Seto drives me all the time,” Mokuba said. “It’s no trouble, really.”

Sharona was still uncertain. Probably wondering about favorism again, or, better yet, what the people who had totaled her car would do if they saw her with him. 

That didn’t bother him.

_ Let them come, _ he thought. He would dearly like to see what those cowards would do in a fair match. 

“You’re working on something that can make my company a whole lot of money,” he said, coolly. “From my perspective, I’m protecting my investment.” Then, because he could, he added, “I can deduct my fuel costs from your wages if it makes you feel better.”

That got a yield. “I’ll be ready for 6. As will Millie.” When they finally went outside, the car was intact, the vinos were still sprawled on the steps, and Seto felt like he was ten pounds lighter. “Mr Kaiba… thank you, both of you.” 

Mokuba just grinned and gave her a hug. Seto let go of her wrist without so much as a smile.

***

It wasn’t until they were well on their way to their home that his brother spoke up. “You like her, don’t you?”

Seto pursed his lips. “She’s got potential.”

“Not what I meant.”

No. It wasn’t. 

“You know what I noticed?” Mokuba said. “All their surnames are Ward. Millie’s textbooks, the bills they had left out. You’d think they were all sisters, even if they don’t look like each other.”

“It’s probably short for Ward-of-the-State,” Seto said. “That’s how it was for some of the kids at our orphanage, remember?”

No, he didn’t. He wouldn’t. Mokuba had been too overwhelmed at the time, and they’d gotten adopted before he could learn much about the way the world existed within the walls of their temporary home. 

He was thoughtful. “So my name could have been Mokuba Ward?”

“No. We had our own family name. But it doesn’t matter anymore,” he added, firmly.

“Still… we could have ended up like them. If you hadn’t challenged our stepfather to that chess match.” 

“Very likely,” Seto conceded, even if it left a bad taste in his mouth. Seto Kaiba had worked hard to be on top of his game, to own the world, to insulate himself and his brother from pain. Seto Ward, on the other hand, would have probably ended up as a computer technician at some mom-and-pop store, resentful of the monotony but unable to progress. The notion made him angry - he wanted to think of himself as a self-made man, but this was a stark reminder that even with his smarts, it was his stepfather’s money that had opened doors for him. “We have different problems from them,” Seto said. “Not better or worse. Just different.”

“Maybe if Millie had more time to relax she’d be better at Duel Monsters,” Mokuba said.

“Maybe Millie doesn’t want to be better at Duel Monsters,” Seto replied.

“Why else would she be writing down the moves of her matches though?”

That, he had no answer to. And in fact, the whole conversation was making him uncomfortable.

He had to get it together. He had to at least pretend to be okay when he picked Sharona up in the morning.


	10. Weird Energy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> This is a fan work, just for... well, my fun, mostly. 
> 
> Goodness knows it's the only thing I do to enjoy myself anymore.

“Are you going to talk to me now?”

It was late. Millie had taken the only bed, while Sally and Sharona had rolled out their sleeping bags in the living room. They should have been long asleep, but they weren’t even pretending to snooze. Even in the dark of the night, you could tell when someone was restless.

Sally sighed and rolled to her back. 

“You know how we joke all the time, about us having a bad taste in men? And that we hope Millie would do better?”

“I think it’ll be hard for her _ not to _ do better,” Sharona said. “God, imagine losing your virginity to a guy too stupid to work a hat.”

“Imagine sleeping with someone to prove you’re not a lesbian.”

“Imagine sleeping with someone who un-ironically wears a pompadour.”

“That’s just mean,” Sally said. “I think Ellie genuinely liked him.”

“She did. That’s part of the problem.” Sharona paused for a beat, two, three. “So what I’m hearing is that you had your own lapse of judgment lately?”

“Depends on how you define _ lately.” _

She turned on her side and waited. 

“Remember that fiasco with the X-laws and Boris?” Sally whispered, voice faraway.

“The one where they blasted us through a church door? How can I forget?” She winced just thinking of it. “I couldn’t use my arm for a week after that. You had to improvise crutches for yourself.”

“Yes, well… it wasn’t all bad. Ren Tao offered to share medicines.” Her friend sighed. “We… got talking then.”

Sharona didn’t need help filling in the blanks. “Took you stargazing, did he?”

“The stars were rather lovely, in fairness.” 

And now she was jealous. “How often did you guys see each other?”

“Every now and then.” Her friend shifted until she was facing her across the living room floor. Her expression was wistful. “It really wasn’t a big deal. We were both just… super stressed out. He never even acknowledged me in public, and I tried to do the same. Didn’t want to crimp his style or anything.”

_ Indeed. _ Sharona knew that particular brand of nonchalance extremely well. “So what happened? Don’t tell me you laughed at his technique.”

Sally shrugged. “That’s the thing. Nothing happened. Towards the end, we were talking more and more, but never about anything special. He didn’t make plans to hook up after the tournament. He didn’t even give me a phone number to contact him on. The last time we saw each other was when the whole village was celebrating Hao’s defeat, but even then all he said was that he’d died and come back out there and didn’t want to live a life full of regret.”

And she’d let this go, just like that. Because she, like all of them, believed she was more likely to be someone else’s regret than the best thing that ever happened in their life. Sharona wasn’t sure what she was angrier about - the fact that Sally had been infected by their low self-esteem, the fact that none of them had noticed how she was doing, or the fact that Ren Tao had been such a lousy fuck buddy he couldn’t even pretend to care for his lady of the day.

“What did you guys talk about?” she asked, trying to distract herself.

Another shrug. “This and that. How we grew up, mostly. He told me that he was expected to take over as head of the family once the tournament was over, but I don’t know… with all the stuff that’s happened, maybe they put it off. He made it sound like not everybody on his clan was supportive of the decision.” Sally shook her head. “I just assumed that was his way of telling me not to get my hopes up.”

Sharona reached out and took her hand. “I’m sorry. That guy sucks. I mean, we knew he sucked already, but this is just the cherry on top.”

“You know what the funny thing is?” Sally asked. “Even as we started getting those damn letters, I kept thinking this was a mistake. Or that maybe someone in his family was trying to get one over him. But—”

“But?”

“If that were the case, this wouldn’t have gone on for so long,” Sally said. “If he cared for me, his family member would have told him and he would have acted. If he didn’t care, his family would know there was no point and called off the hounds. Instead, they are escalating.”

Which, to her mind, meant only one thing.

Sharona wasn’t so convinced.

“What if he doesn’t know because nobody told him yet?” she asked.

“Why would they hide something like that?”

“They may assume you stayed in touch. Maybe they’re hoping you would seek him out, put him in a compromising position.” The more she talked, the more energized she became. Sitting up, Sharona pushed the sleeping bag to her waist and grabbed her phone. She managed to get her meager Internet to run and then started a search. She pursed her lips as the results started loading. “Well, then.”

Sally sat up. “Show me.”

_ I hate myself sometimes, _ Sharona thought, as she flipped the screen toward her. The majority of the articles were in Chinese, but there were a handful of English publications that had picked up the news. ** Weapons Tycoon Heir Announces Royal Engagement. ** According to the blurb, the union was worth ten billion from the two individual’s net worth alone. One of the pictures even showed the man himself, standing next to a beautiful girl with midnight eyes.

“He’s marrying an actual princess?” Sally said, letting out a bitter laugh. “Well, isn’t that just precious?”

_ I swear, when this is over, I’m going to find you somebody who will love you as you are meant to be loved, _ Sharona thought, trying to sort her own vicarious fury from the matter at hand. On paper the union was great, but somebody clearly didn’t like it. Somebody who knew an awful lot about Sally’s private life. If Sharona wasn’t already sick of the drama of the rich and famous, now she had all the more reasons to untangle herself and her friends from it forever. 

“I’m sorry,” her friend said, finally. “I should have told you sooner. If I had—”

“No.” Sharona said firmly.

“No?”

She put the phone away, then lay back down. “Whatever happened between you two,” she said, “It was yours, and yours alone. You owe me no explanation, and whomever is trying to drag you into the mud will be made to feel sorry for it.”

“I have to do something. I’m the reason—”

“Doesn’t matter whose fault it is, okay?” In truth, there was still a chance that Ren was just a vindictive dick after all. But the more Sharona thought of it, the less that theory hold up to scrutiny. The Tao heir and Sally had parted ways years ago. The most he would get from intimidating her was three million, maybe, if the five of them managed to cobble the money together. That was peanuts compared to what the family would gain if this wedding went through. There were quieter ways to shut someone up if you wanted your past hidden. Ren didn’t strike her as an idiot. “The core plan doesn’t change. We either sit this out until he gives up, or—”

“Or what? We hide from his zombies until they kill us.”

“The only thing that is getting killed is my assignment at Kaiba Corp,” Sharona said. “And once we gather the money, we’ll send it to Ren as an engagement present - in one dollar bills, tied with a big bow, and with a note that says Fuck you.”

Sally laughed - a genuine laugh this time. “Fuck yeah we will.” Then she sobered up. “Shar… about your boss… I didn’t imagine that there’s spirits hanging onto him.”

“I didn’t put them there, if that’s what you’re asking,” she said. She really didn’t want to think about Seto Kaiba or anything else he’d made her feel tonight. “And no - I have no idea what they want.”

“Spirits so old they have lost their shape…” Sally muttered. “They must affect him greatly.”

“He seems to be coping fine.”

“Will he cope for long enough for you to kill your assignment?” There was a long pause. “Listen. I don’t know how any of this makes you feel. But if the spirits clinging onto him are affecting his moods, who’s to say they won’t stop affecting his behaviors? You know what happens when old ghosts get the better of you.”

She did. Madness, rage, increasingly reckless risk-taking behaviors. Sharona wasn’t terribly concerned about it before - karma, she assumed, had caught up with a rich asshole for once. But now she had gotten to know said asshole, and worse - she’d started to care for his wellbeing. “He doesn’t believe in ghosts,” she said. “If I try to rid him of these spirits, I’d have to be very covert about it.”

Sally nodded. “Want us to help?”

Sharona sighed and lay down. “Let me get a better sense of what we’re dealing with. We’ll just have to go from there.”

What a royal mess this was turning into.

***

“You’re here!”

_ What exactly did you expect? _ Seto thought, but held his tongue. Making her young roommate cry was not how he was hoping to get on Sharona’s good side.

The woman in question stepped out into the sunlight as Mokuba and Millie were chatting.

Neither of them, it seemed, had gotten any sleep last night. Her skin looked ashen and the underside of her eyes was bruised. She gave him a smile that was two parts greeting, and a million parts grimace. 

He opened the door to his car in invitation.

Their conversation would have to wait, anyway.

Millie and Mokuba talked all the way to her school. Then Mokuba didn’t stop talking to Sharona about Millie all the way to his school. By the time both teenagers had been dropped off, Seto had learned pretty much all there was to know about the younger girl - thirteen, hates maths of any form, and plays more sports than card games. He wondered whether he and his brother were due for a chat about the birds and bees at some point soon - or rather, how one should behave around women one liked without completely losing one’s dignity.

“So, how do you feel about us doing this more often?” 

_ Hm… that didn’t sound as dignified as I thought it would. _

“I’ll have a car sorted out as soon as the weekend is over,” she said. Then she squinted at him, like her vision had gone from a perfect 20/20 to nothing in seconds. “I’m really sorry for this inconvenience.”

“As you pointed out last night, there’s options. If I am inconveniencing myself, it’s because I choose it.”

She pursed her lips. Not convinced. 

_ Well, too bad. This isn’t going away. _

Though sleep had been elusive, morning had brought him much needed clarity on several matters. He knew, for example, that his attraction to this woman wasn’t going away. He knew that she was also fast becoming integral to his company’s biggest project. Regardless of what she was running from, regardless of whether she ever took official credit for it, the success of the project was becoming tied with her ideas. 

Which meant that he couldn’t just ignore her in the hopes that everything would turn out fine. No. He had to keep the situation under control.

Seto Kaiba never negotiated from a place of weakness. Seto Kaiba never even walked into a boardroom without knowing he held all the cards. Most people were easy - money and power sorted them out just fine. But Sharona seemed allergic to the very idea of him helping her; the very fact that he’d seen where she lived seemed to have gotten her heckles up, as if witnessing the awful little apartment would automatically make him want to turn her into his charity case. She was too proud to accept any handout, and if he tried to bribe her or threaten her, he was sure the result would be catastrophic.

Hell, she didn’t even seem interested in the conversation enough not to doze off in the front seat. 

Seto coughed, rousing her. “What would your ideal outcome be?” he asked.

“I’m sorry, what?” 

She really hadn’t slept, had she? He forced himself to go slowly, to not spook her. “I’m not going to insult your intelligence, Sharona, so I hope you will pay me in kind,” he said. “I’d like to speak honestly with you.”

No comment, but he could feel her undivided attention.

“You’re in some kind of trouble,” he said. “I don’t know what, and I’m not going to force you to tell me. But I won’t have my employees be menaced on my own company’s property. And I don’t want this to impact your performance on the KL3 project. So…” he stopped at a traffic light and fixed her with his gaze. “What would your ideal outcome be?”

If he expected her to blush or stutter, she would have disappointed him. If anything, she seemed genuinely pensive.

The light went from red to green. He started driving again.

“Is it about money?”

“Some of it.” 

At least they were making progress. 

“I take it the car thing would set things back a bit,” Seto said. “Unless, of course, you are willing to accept a lift to work and back.”

“You don’t know how long it would take me to pay off that debt,” Sharona said.

“I know how long your internship is, though.” 

She seemed unconvinced. What kind of sum was she dealing with, then?

“Then there is the project,” Seto added. “If they work, the ideas you showed me could be the breakthrough I was looking for. I’d be more than happy to buy the copyright from you, for a reasonable sum, of course.”

“Define reasonable.”

Smart girl. She wasn’t even finished with the thing and she was already trying to get a sense of the negotiation. Seto pondered his answer, then remembered that this was supposed to be an honest moment. “I don’t know the size of your debt, as you put it. But if the project falls through, the losses to Kaiba Corp would be in the realm of the hundreds of millions.” Well, they’d be in billions, but he wasn’t technically lying. “An innovation so crucial to the process would naturally fetch a price that is comparable.”

“If it works.”

“If it works.”

She was silent all the way to the office. He was starting to get antsy - did he choose the wrong approach? Was it still too crass? Or did he lowball her? How much debt could one woman be in? - when she announced.

“I accept.”

Seto glanced at her as much as he could, before focusing his attention on the road. “You accept?”

“I’ll prove my solution works. Then I’ll name my price.” From the corner of his eye, he noticed her chewing on her lip. “I just hope Kalvin will let me stay behind in the lab.”

“I’ll speak to him today, make sure you have enough time to work on this,” Seto said, hoping his relief didn’t come across too strongly. “And I’ll also speak to HR.”

“HR?” She was frowning. “Why?”

“To tell them you’re carpooling with me from now on.” He grinned. “Can’t have this commitment to the environment go unnoticed, can we?” 

***

Later that day, she stood at her desk, waiting for a printout, and tried to muster the courage to reach out to an angry spirit.

“Miss, are you sure this is a good idea?” the ghosts of the near-interns intoned, nearly in unison.

She sighed. “If you can’t help me, at least keep an eye out for other people.” 

Energy ran through everything. Spirits were no different. For all the high-brow philosophy of the tournament, in the end, it boiled down to energy transfer. Energy to attack. Energy to defend. Energy to heal. 

And when a spirit turned on a living person, sometimes that led to the weaker of the two being obliterated completely.

Sharona sighed and tried to unfocus her mind. The more she forced the connection, the worse it would get. At least she knew where Kaiba was on the floor above her - his office was right above Kalvin’s. If she could just expand her awareness…

_ Cold. So cold. _

She sighed again. Her breath formed a cloud around her.

_ Hello? _ she called out. _ Is anybody there? _

No answer. But there was definitely a presence.

_ Don’t be afraid. I’m a friend. I can help you. _

Still nothing. Then out of nowhere, a hoarse cry split the air.

Sharona gasped, opening her eyes. The room swayed around her and she had to grip the edge of the table to prevent herself from fainting. Her body was shivering. The surface she was holding onto was so cold, it burned.

“Oh.” She breathed.

Something wet touched her lip. She raised her hand and swiped some of the blood that was now flowing from her nose. Wincing, she tipped her head back and stumbled towards the ladies’, trying hard not to choke.

She hadn’t been wrong. Something had responded to her.

And it wanted no help.


	11. Missives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope, still don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> This fic (like many of my fave shippings) exists for my amusement alone.
> 
> Which is a good thing because can you imagine the animation budget for a crossover of those two shows? Whoah!

They said change is hard, but it seemed like when change came from the top, it sped things up quite a bit. Kaiba Corp had a carpool incentive scheme. Yet, within a week of their arrangement, the takeup had gone up two times - just from Seto making it mandatory for the C-level employees.

Apparently, there was nothing quite like seeing the senior management acting like chauffeurs to get the rest of the company to suddenly worry about their carbon footprint. Within days, the sight of her (and a couple of other employees who lived nearby), arriving with the CEO, did not so much as raise an eyebrow.

Well, from a living person, anyway. 

“Dare I ask?” one of the ghost colleagues inquired, as Sharona ran up several flights of stairs after a particularly bad morning.

“You dare not,” she’d hissed back. 

“Hope you didn’t try to reach the angry one again,” the other ghost said. “He’s always crabbier when you do that.”

In reality, Sharona had had to be very careful with how she approached the spirits hanging onto Seto - and not just because of how unresponsive they were. In the car, she had very little time to center herself, what with all the noise and people trying to make conversation. Alone, she had more success… but every time she pushed too hard, she ended up with a headache, a nosebleed, or shivering as if from an invisible fever. One time, she’d failed to catch herself and collapsed on the floor. She’d had to tell Kalvin that she had low blood sugar.

“Listen, this is your business,” her manager had said, after she’d gone through a day like a zombie, stumbling around and barely making progress. “But be careful, at least. You’re still young. You’ve got the world ahead of you.”

Sharona had raised an eyebrow at that. “You think I’m pregnant?”

“I don’t know what to think, girl,” Kalvin had said. “Just be careful, okay?”

She was.

Or at least she tried to be.

Kaiba had, at least, done a good thing in finding more people to drive to and from work. While he still picked her up first and dropped her off last, the big group meant they had fewer opportunities for one-to-one time. She didn’t have to get drawn into conversations that were a little too interesting, or emotionally challenging. She could sit back and listen to him discuss the latest mock-ups with the graphics designer who rode along with them, or debate the pros and cons of a certain marketing strategy with the manager who always had baby vomit in his hair. 

Sharona had enough emotional minefields to manage when she was working on her project, anyway.

Rather than incentivising her, his promise to pay for the patent made her work slower than ever. The mock-ups she made were never quite right. The simulations did not run. She told herself that this was just part of the deal, that she wouldn’t get it all right from the start, but for some reason, the fact that she failed as often as she did made her feel down in the dumps.

_ Can’t be a smart intern, can’t be a powerful ghost-talker, and what is left? A dumb blonde. _

At most, the highlights of her day consisted of sending Seto Kaiba an actual update on her work and the five to ten minutes they spent alone in the car. It wasn’t like they were particularly memorable, in fact, he used them to grill her about what she’d done that day, and telling her any relevant info like how the component might fit against other parts of the system. 

Her friends thought that was pathetic, too. 

“Oh, the burning passion,” Lilly had said in her most deadpan voice, as Sharona had tried to explain why she couldn’t just carpool with someone else. “Woman, are you sure you’re not a masochist? Because there’s some kinksters in my job that wouldn’t even dream of doing what you are doing now.”

“Oh, come on.” Millie had been the only one to defend her. “I think it’s nice that she caught a break for once.”

“You’re just saying that because he drops you off to school sometimes, as well.”

Sharona had tried to mostly stay out of the conversation after that. She didn’t understand why these moments were making her happy, except for that they _ felt _ good. It was as though she was a real part of a team - not just some intern working away at a side project when all her other duties were dispensed. She didn’t believe for a second that Seto Kaiba - multi-conglomerate CEO and tech genius - would let her mess about on company time if he didn’t see a point in what she was doing. Sure - she _ could _ flatter herself and think he was harboring some additional interest in her body, but any of that would be incidental. He could scratch his itch with any woman. He couldn’t fix his company’s tech quagmire with any engineer. He would not be going out of his way to act like her chauffeur if he didn’t at least care about the outcome of her experiments.

The fact that she wished he would spend more time with her was just self-indulgent.

It was also, probably, the biggest problem. When the two of them had worked together that time, time had flown by as they’d bounced ideas off each other. When she’d spent a night in the library researching alloys and conductivity, she’d been fueled by rage and fear. Now, without anything to loom over her head or stimulate her mind, she felt like she was trying to build a wind farm in a dead-air zone. Despair and doubt were so much easier to give into.

Meanwhile, the weeks slipped by. 

And she was becoming painfully aware of how short her term would be if she didn’t come up with a solution.

***

For Seto, the weeks felt like a torture.

Oh, his company kept on going, deadlines were met or delayed, and he was painfully aware of how little wriggle room he had left with regard to some of his business commitments. But as far as Sharona Ward went, he was stuck with nowhere to move.

He’d done what he could to establish a professional boundary - strict limits on their time together, even stricter ones on the time they spent alone, and absolutely no ambiguity with regards to how their relationship was perceived by the outside world. He’d promised her to pay for the patent if her idea worked as an incentive for her to play ball, but he’d had an ulterior motive too. It gave him a hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to act on this _ thing _ that he was feeling toward her. 

Only an idiot would think that power didn’t matter in situations such as theirs - and he was no idiot. If he made a move now, he would be just another rich asshole, forcing himself on a person without a care about their feelings. A person who was vulnerable, in debt, and possibly on the run. 

No. He had to at least try to level the playing field. 

The problem was that the more barriers he built, the more he wanted to tear them down. Could he hit a traffic jam when it was just the two of them in the car? Could he find an excuse to go by her desk? Could he call her in his office? Did she never think it strange they took the stairs when there was a perfectly good lift? She never brought it up, and yet, there were moments he could _ swear _ he saw reciprocating interest when they were alone.

It was ridiculous. Impossible. Possibly masochistic.

He was better served trying to figure out how she managed to deliver status updates to his desk without anybody noticing.

He’d checked with his PA and with the janitors. His office had been locked at all times. The cameras showed nothing. Yet, every other morning, a slip of paper with her scribbled updates was waiting for his perusal. The contents were usually banal. “Alloy combination 2 didn’t work, moving to 3.” Or, “Voltage wouldn’t cook the wires, but it’ll be too expensive to scale up. Moving onto the next simulation.” He could throw them in a paper shredder and there would be no trace of the communications.

Maybe that was her goal.

Maybe…

Every time he received the missive, he studied the security tapes, waiting to see how they appeared between frames. Every time he held the papers in his hands, and then carefully folded them in his pocket. 

That was how it went for weeks. Then a missive arrived that changed it all.

“Simulation 43 worked. Probability of failure is under 5%. What would you like me to do?”

Seto stared at the paper. Then he picked up a pen and scribbled underneath. “Take it to shop. There’ll be a space ready for you at 1 o’clock.”

He left the paper at his desk. If she had a way of sneaking in his office, she would know his response without him telling her.

***

Sharona appeared in the workshop on the top levels of Kaiba Corp at 13:35 in the afternoon. 

She expected to be stopped at the door. Instead, she found the entire room free. There wasn’t even a PA checking staff IDs. She could see that a station had been set up, with a welding power supply and various materials. But without anybody around, she felt suddenly shy. What if she went up and accidentally broke some kind of workroom rule? She didn’t know whose territory she was encroaching on.

“Busy day?” Seto Kaiba said from behind her. “Or did you not get the message sooner?”

She glanced over her shoulder. He was holding a cold coffee and a laptop. Probably lurked in the staff kitchen, waiting for her to appear. _ That’s almost too cute. _

“Worse,” she said, finally. “I got lost.”

“Maybe we should arrange for a chaperon for you,” he said, and pointed at the station. “For this afternoon, you’ll have to settle for my company. I hope that’s not too disappointing for you.”

“I’m just a little intern, Mr Kaiba,” she said, battling her eyelashes at him and doing her best impression of a simpering fool. “It hardly matters what disappoints me or not.”

A muscle twitched on his jaw - from irritation or from keeping back laughter, she didn’t know.

That didn’t matter either. 

“Health and Safety says I should check you know how to use all the equipment before I let you loose on it,” Kaiba said. “But seeing as you rebuild your own car engine, I’m guessing I don’t need to teach you how to use a pulse welder.”

“Keep an eye on me anyway. You don’t know what hells I might cook up.”

He made a great show of setting up his computer and focusing entirely on the contents of the screen. Sharona waited for a bit to see whether he would crack, then settled down as well and turned to the task at hand.

Now _ this _ was where the fun stuff happened.

Pulling out the printout of her latest simulation, she made sure she had the necessary supplies before arranging them in order of what she’d need. The protective gloves and goggles would go on right before she got started - once she did, trying to sort through tiny bits of wire would be a royal pain. She was probably grinning like a maniac and she didn’t give two shits about it. 

***

Seto anticipated having to supervise Sharona with the corner of his eye, but the million other emergencies that seemed to have emerged over the past hour pulled his attention to the computer. Finances were a mess. Some procurement protocol hadn’t been met. The idiot in charge of IT had managed to misplace half a million dollars worth of inventory, and his boss thought this was a problem to bring to the CEO’s consideration.

As you do.

He didn’t look up for a good two hours. Occasionally, he could hear the noise of the different tools being switched on, and then being put down. Sharona had followed the safety procedure as if she’d been doing this all her life - not just with the goggles, mask, and gloves, but pulling up a curtain as well, keeping any sparks and debris on her side of the table. 

The whole experience was surprisingly distracting.

In fact, the thing that made him look up was her saying, “Here,” followed by the sound of a mug being set down.

He blinked. A new coffee sat by his hand.

“Woolgathering?” Sharona asked as she kept on walking toward her station. “You know, that’ll be safer to do in your office.”

“Couldn’t find anybody else to supervise you, though,” Seto replied, taking a sip. Black, no sugar, just strong enough. He frowned. He didn’t remember ever telling her how he took his beverages. “Need me to check your work?”

“Not quite yet,” she said, adjusting her goggles back on her head. “I’m in the middle of a fiddly little bit of spot welding and I don’t want you to see it before it’s in place.”

“You seem to think I don’t know what a work in progress looks like.”

“If you were in the middle of a Duel Monsters game, and someone just looked in, they’d probably say you didn’t know what you were doing either. You would, but you wouldn’t enjoy the assertion.”

He smirked into his mug. “This reminds me,” he said, once the noise of the tool died down, “Have you actually tried playing Duel Monsters on one of our machines?”

“Me?” Even through her protective goggles, she seemed baffled. “No. Why?”

“You’re an engineer. Don’t you care about the end product of what you’re doing?”

Sharona seemed to consider this, then went to fiddle with the model she was making. After a few more minutes, she said, “I understand the principles and I know that maintaining the integrity of the holograms during a battle is crucial. I know what’s relevant to my field. I don’t really see the point in partaking in it, though.”

Seto frowned. “The point of Kaiba Corp is to produce a gaming experience like no other.”

“Yep.”

“But you don’t care about the game. Just how stuff works.”

“Sorry. Can’t say strategy is my strong suit.” 

His frown deepened. “Strategy can be learned. You can train to become better at it.” Then, because she wasn’t biting, he said, “You and your friends know enough to teach your Millie. She seems to be pretty good.”

“She’s got more brains than us.”

“Right. Is that why she let my brother win the first night?”

Sharona chuckled. “Goodness, that sounds truly Machiavellian. Why would Millie let your brother win?”

“Because she had the right cards.”

“She could have had perfect cards and still not known how to play them. Come on, Mr Kaiba, be real - sometimes the most simple answer is the correct one.”

Which was exactly the kind of thinking a savvy person would use in her favor. Easy solutions appealed to people. Few bothered to look under the surface or wonder about the traps that might lurk under the surface of a seemingly straightforward situation.

“You know, most people didn’t think I’d come to much,” Seto said. Honesty had disarmed her last time - maybe he could do it again. “A poor orphan boy, constantly standing up to one of the most powerful man in the world - the simple answer would have been that I was in over my head. But instead of being crushed, I won over Gozaburo Kaiba every time.”

“Ah, yeah. I’d heard about that.” She paused and looked at him over the rim of the curtain. “Sounds almost unreal. Like you pulled it off by magic.”

“Wishing you did it yourself, do you?”

The corners of her eyes crinkled with a smile. “Somebody’s been snooping.”

“You think I don’t know what the name ‘Ward’ stands for?”

“Well, it’s not like I hide it or anything,” she said, shrugging and pushing the mask and goggles off her face. “Although you’re wrong about my wishing I could replicate your adoption strategy.” She beckoned him over. “Come see where I’ve gotten to.”

He clicked his laptop shut before walking around the curtain. Held in her hands was a component that looked as boring as dirt. But as he studied it more closely, he felt a thrill of excitement building in his chest. “How soon until we can test this?”

“Soon enough,” she said, setting it down. “My main concern was seeing how the different alloys interacted and held together. Next step is seeing if they fit in with the rest of the components that Engineering has been putting together.”

Seto walked over to one of the storage cabinets and brought back a handful of materials. “This would be what the surrounding shell of the unit would be made of,” he explained, picking up a pencil. Making a quick sketch on her papers, he marked how the various components would go together, then arranged them with Sharona until they had the unit laying flat on the table in front of them. 

“The transformer needs to be compact,” he said. As if she didn’t know already. “We’d need to put a lot of these around the park to avoid overloading any one generator or machine.”

“It will be.” She started adjusting her mask. You’ll want to step back for this.”

Seto shook his head and pulled a mask and gloves of his own. “You need two pairs of hands for this. Where do you want me to hold?”


	12. Power Exchange

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> I do wish these shows had better English dubs than they got. (Seriously. The script of some of these episodes. It was as if the screenwriters were afraid to have a quiet moment and had to cram in as many one-liners as they could.) 
> 
> Anyway... this is just a fan work, for fun.
> 
> Content warning: mentions of childhood neglect. Reader discretion advised.

It was as if she was having a bizarre dream.

The sort of dream only a shop geek would have. And she’d worked hard never to be known as a shop geek. 

Yet, here she was, welding a model conductor while Seto Kaiba was listening to her instructions. If this were a fantasy, the next step would have been for him to knock everything out of the way so that he could fuck her on the table… and then she would have been really pissed, because _ she worked on this, damn it. _

By the time she gave up in her work, five o’clock had come and gone, the janitors had cleaned the rest of the workshop, and her back hurt. “Will Ursula and Taylor be okay?” she asked, referring to their usual carpool companions.

“They both messaged me this morning. Taylor’s kid had to go to the hospital and Ursula went to a half-day conference.” He pushed the goggles off his head and rubbed his eyes. “We can keep working at this for as long as you like.”

She was tempted to say no - that she couldn’t possibly keep him after hours. 

But they were close. So close.

“I just want to finish this one thing,” she said, adjusting her gloves. “You should… um… go make sure the inventory thing got sorted.”

“Heard that, did you?”

“You were kind of muttering about it.”

He laughed this time, and she could see, clear as ever, the spirits clinging onto him, seemingly angry at every show of pure pleasure. If they’d been around for a while, Sharona would wager, it was no wonder Kaiba had gotten such a bad rep. 

She got about five minutes into the task before he asked her if she would ever answer his question.

“Which one do you mean?” she called out over the sound of the arc welder. 

“The one about adoption strategies. You said I was wrong,” he said. “Will you ever tell me in what way, or shall I guess?”

So he wasn’t letting go. Interesting.

“I didn’t realize you wanted me to continue,” she said. “As far as I was aware, we weren’t supposed to delve too far into our private lives on company time.”

“It’s past five o’clock.” He tapped a few more keys on his computer and then raised an eyebrow at her. “And I have seen enough of your life to make my own conclusions. You don’t want me to draw the wrong ones, do you?”

“That sounded like a threat, Mr Kaiba,” she said, pausing her welding enough to return his gaze. 

“I don’t like unsolved puzzles, Ms Ward. Especially from the people on my team.”

He already knew she needed money, though. He’d managed to put conditions around her work that made it worth her while not to betray him. Why was he still probing? Was he afraid she was going to sell his company secrets to someone else, still? Or did he think she was angling for a seduction, to get a juicy story to sell to the tabloids or to blackmail him with?

Of course, there was another explanation. The spirits clinging onto him had darkened even further. Whatever mistrust and paranoia he was naturally harboring, they probably made a lot worse.

Sharona went back to her welding. “You’ll be disappointed,” she said, over the noise. “It’s actually pretty boring.”

“I’ll be judge of that.”

Of course he would be. 

“Fun fact,” she said, not looking up from her work, “You can’t get adopted in my birth state if your bio parents are living and haven’t relinquished their rights on you. Even if I had an adoption strategy, it would have been dead in the water because my mother wouldn’t let me go.”

Seto went quiet. “So what happened? You just got put in a temporary home?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Sharona paused, trying to get into a frame of mind where she could talk about it dispassionately. “The street where the girls and I grew up was full of foster families. We were there so often, the people who took us in didn’t even bother to give our beds to anybody else.” 

“Nice of them to do that,” Kaiba said.

“They were getting a regular payout in exchange for not killing us,” Sharona said, dryly. “They were kind but they weren’t running a charity.”

He was quiet for a few beats. “So you got taken by social services, your last names were even changed to Ward, but your parents are still alive?”

“That’s one way to put it.” Her strongest memory of her birth mom was the smell of rot. She’d bought some kind of cooked chicken and left it in the fridge for so long, it had turned into something out of a nightmare. Even when the smell made her gag, the woman had refused to throw it out. Alive? Sure, the woman was living. But every time she was well enough for get her daughter back, Sharona had been going home to a tomb. 

Kaiba was waiting.

“My friends and I came from what the professionals call ‘high-risk family environments’. Whenever there was a concern for our immediate wellbeing, the socials took us away to foster homes. They expected that this would be all the incentive the adults needed to get their shit together.”

“And it wasn’t?”

She turned to her work, seeking her calm detachment again. But something had tripped up the memories, and she was lost in them. The feel of sticky linoleum under her feet. The way her things would get lost in the flat. How her mother refused to even replace the batteries on anything, rushing out to buy, buy, buy, as soon as she thought it didn’t work. At one point, Sharona couldn’t even open a letter without the woman flying into a rage. 

And the worst part was that her mother hadn’t always been alone.

She’d had friends. She’d had family. She’d had lovers, clearly. Pictures from her youth showed her as a beaming beauty, the centre of her social circle. There was no doubt to Sharona's mind that the life she'd been born in wasn't the life her mother had grown into. But she never sought help, nor accepted it when it was offered. She never let her daughter go either. 

It hurt. It hurt that she mattered to the woman to a point, but not enough. It was never enough.

“Sharona?”

She shrugged and forced some nonchalance into her voice. “You gained full custody of your brother at twelve. Do you really need me to tell you the family services party line?”

He gave her a pensive look. The spirits swirled around him, as if repelled by his own bad mood. “No,” he said, finally, “I suppose I don’t.”

Sharona welded a few more things together. Studied the prototype. If she pushed herself, she could have it test-ready by the weekend. Seeing if it could hold one charge was the next hurdle. And after that - making sure it can take repeated strain, again and again. How long would it take for it to break? How expensive would these transformers be to replace? 

“Interrogating you on your past was a dick move, wasn’t it?” he said.

“A bit.” She fiddled with the model. “But if the shoe were on the other foot, I would have done worse.”

“Oh?” That seemed to pique his interest. “Do tell.”

She laughed. “And dig my own grave? I don’t think so.”

There was a scraping noise, and she looked to find him leaning over the table at her. “Maybe I won’t dare,” he said in a low voice. “Maybe what you’d do is so outrageous, even I’d be shocked.”

He was trying to provoke her and damn if it wasn’t working. 

Sharona set the welding tool down and pushed the goggles up her head. The spirits swirling around him seemed to retract a bit, as if repelled by something in his mood. She took the opportunity and reached out toward them. _ Hello, are you there? _

No reaction.

_ I’m a friend. I can help. _

These ghosts didn’t want a friend or help. They’d picked an appropriate person to haunt, then.

Giving up on the attempt, she turned to Kaiba. “Well,” she said. “For starters, I wouldn’t go for the obvious weak spots. Foster kids can take a beating - you won’t be able to make us cry with questions about our mommies.” 

He stood up, slowly. His chair scraped again as he pushed it back with his foot. “Duly noted,” he said, as he started to walk around the table. “What else?”

Was it her or did the mood in the room suddenly change? She cocked her chin, looking at him up and down. “I also wouldn’t go for any threats,” she said. “Your home situation, for example. An older sibling taking sole custody of a younger one? Only an amateur would think that’s good ammunition.”

“And if anyone tried to use it as ammo, they would deserve every bit of pain they get in response,” he said. He’d rounded the corner and was coming toward her now. She sat up straighter in her chair, instincts screaming for her to run, pride keeping her in place. “Go on,” he rasped. “What else?”

Sharona stared at a spot a couple of inches away from his ear. _ Ghosts, focus on the ghosts. _ They still didn’t respond to her, but she could distinguish them a lot better from there. 

Her voice dropped an octave, matching his own. “I think I would go for a personal weak spot. You’d be keeping that close to your chest, but anybody that spends two minutes in your company would know what it was. I’d find that and go for it. I’d hit that relentlessly, every chance I got, until you were begging for mercy.”

Kaiba stopped a foot away from her. His expression was positively predatory. 

“You think you can make me _ beg _, Ms Ward?” he asked.

“In this hypothetical scenario? I’d have you on your knees.” She then beamed and gave him her sweetest, dumbest smile. “Good thing it’ll never come true, right?”

He stared at her for the longest time. The spirits swirled around him, darkening further. She had the sudden feeling that she’d gone too far.

Sharona held her breath.

“Indeed,” he said, turning to walk back to his side of the table. “I’m very glad our positions were not reversed, Ms Ward.”

She nodded, even if he couldn’t see it. For some reason she felt… disappointed. 

But that was ridiculous. They hadn’t _ done _ anything. 

Before she could compose herself enough to reply, though, something happened. The spirits around Kaiba reared up and seemed to turn to her. She felt suddenly small and vulnerable, as a roar - not a cry, a huge animal scream - blasted through her ears, causing her to gasp and fall back.

***

“SHIT!”

Seto made all of three steps before Sharona’s voice stopped him dead. He turned as she leapt out of her chair, face twisted in pain, clutching at one of her hands. The glove was steaming and he could see red staining her palm.

He was with her in a flash, grabbing her wrist before she could tear the glove off. The smell of burning flesh nearly made him gag. “Careful. What happened?” he asked, as if that was the most important thing.

“I stumbled on the welding tool. Fuckshitpiss!” she swore, angry tears in her eyes.

Seto didn’t think. One hand on her wrist, the other on her elbow, he steered her toward the sink in the back of the room. The emergency first aid kit was hung there, full of disinfectant and bandages. “I’ve got you,” he kept saying. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

She just whimpered.

_ Arrogant fool, _ he thought. But it was he who had been the moron - bringing her into a room full of power tools, staying late into the night without so much as a coffee break, what did he think would happen? He had engineers with three times her experience who wouldn’t dream working on a fiddly project for more than an hour at a time - and he was allowing an intern to try for four times that? 

“Wait,” she said as he freed her hand and started pouring disinfectant over the palm. “I can do that.”

“Stay still,” he ordered. “I need to see what the damage is.”

“It’s not so bad.” She was breathing hard. He chanced a glance and saw her pupils had dilated so much, her eyes looked black. “I think the glove took most of the burn.”

Seto snorted. “Nice try.” 

And yet, as the antiseptic cleared away the blood and grime, what lay underneath looked… almost too small. Her skin was red and angry and there were definitely tears in it, but it seemed disproportionate to the amount of blood on the glove. Hell, he could swear that the edges of the wound were knitting together before his eyes. Sharona was taking short breaths as he applied ointment and covered it in gauze.

“Do you get sick at the sight of blood?” he asked, ready to grab her if she fainted. 

“It’s never happened before.” Her voice was weak, though, and her eyes were now closed. The skin of her other arm was clammy and cold.

There was a tin foil blanket in the first aid kit. He paused his ministrations to unfold it and wrap it around her shoulders, but it seemed comically inadequate. She wasn’t just hurt. She was scared. 

Because she burned herself?

Seto went back to bandaging her palm. “I’ll take you to the ER.”

“What?” Her eyes snapped open. “No. You can’t.”

“You should have a doctor look at that.”

“I’m not going to spend four hours in a waiting room just to be told to put olive oil on my hand and rest.” The steel was creeping back in her, even though she was still as sickly-looking as a corpse. “Bloody hell, my insurance doesn’t allow this kind of luxury.”

“If you think I’m letting my employees die of sepsis, you’re living in a fantasy land,” he said. 

“Afraid I’ll sue? I’ll sign a release, then.” 

Whether it was the exhaustion of the last few hours, the intensity of their conversation, or the fact that she was so damn close - whether it was any one of those things or all of them combined - Seto couldn’t let it go. He would have - on any other day, he would have. But not now.

“Screw the release.” He grabbed hold of her shoulders and forced her to look at him. “I don’t give a damn about your suing, and I don’t care what you think is right. You’re getting that hand treated, and that’s the end of it.”

A gleam appeared in her eyes - as evil as he’d ever seen her. “I’m not cooperating,” she said in a low voice.

“Then I’ll drag you.” 

They stared each other down. Sharona braced her feet, preparing for him to try and pull her off balance, while Seto was calculating the chances of him carrying her to the car without anybody interfering. Most of his employees were used to him having strange mood swings, but even the syncopates were going to draw the line at actual kidnapping,

As they should.

“Just look at my wound first,” she said. “It’s not bleeding anymore. I can tell it isn’t.”

“Have you got a death wish?”

“I’m being realistic.” Then her eyes softened. “Please. Just look at it. If it’s still bleeding, we’ll go.”

He’d seen enough burns and cuts from the shop floor to know when something was bad. “Promise you’ll stop objecting.”

“I promise.”

Seto sighed and unwound the bandage. “You just love to be obstinate, Ms—” he stopped, as her hand revealed itself. “What the hell?”

Now the wounds were nearly closed. The skin was still burned, yes. But there was no blood, no weeping. If it weren’t for the gauze he’d used to clean her palm just now, he would have been convinced that she was okay. “You were hurt.”

“And now I’m not.” She took a deep breath and looked at him in the eye. “Listen, I’m sorry I overreacted. I was startled and scared and—”

“You grabbed an arc welder. You could have gotten a third degree burn.”

“And I’m sorry about that. I was careless.” Sharona’s cheeks turned red, life finally returning to her face. “I should have stopped when I was still alert. That was my mistake.”

Seto’s eye twitched. 

By now, he’d learned the difference between her sincere apologies and her “I-would-rather-let-you-think-you-have-won” apologies. This one was one thousand percent “Sorry, not sorry.” 

“Let’s tidy up your space and get you home,” he said, straightening up. 

She started to follow, but he just shoved the bandages at her and ordered her to wrap her palm again. He wasn’t going to keep touching her if it was going to be this unpleasant. Hell - he’d been this close to actually throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her out of the building. How could he even contemplate such behavior, let alone act on it?

Then again, how could he have let things escalate to this point in the first place? Interrogating her about her past, and then asking her what she would have done in his place - both things had been utterly foolish. And then she’d had the gall to say she would have made him beg! She’d said it with such a certainty, such dark promise, for a wild second he’d been tempted to take her up on her offer.

_ Make me, then. Make me beg. _

The fact that they had been discussing how one of them would control the other was completely lost on him. His mind had gone to the gutter, and from the looks of it, the gutter is where it had stayed.

He put away the power tools, making sure they were all clean and tidy so that nobody would be able to tell what had happened. The prototype, he’d sealed in a box that he’d handed to Sharona. “Take this with you,” he said. “I trust you’ll be able to keep it safe until the chief of security is able to lock it in the vault tomorrow.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said. She still had that foil blanket around her shoulders when they walked out of the workshop - it was as if she enjoyed wearing it.

Seto told himself that he was done crossing boundaries tonight… then promptly broke his own promise when she headed for the stairs and he grabbed her by the elbow.

Sharona looked down and then up at him. She turned her head in that proud way he’d come to enjoy very much. “Um, did I forget something?”

“Elevators are that way.” He pointed, as if that wasn’t clear enough.

“I burned my hand, not my legs.”

“Are you seriously going to start another fight?”

Sharona shook his hand off. “I’m not starting anything, Mr Kaiba,” she said, in a faux cheery way. “I would never dream of telling you which way to get to the parking. But I think I’ll quite enjoy the exercise.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear… using just her middle finger to do it. Giving him a wink, she added, “Race you there!”

***

What possessed her to do this? 

What was she trying to prove?

It was bad enough that she’d made a fool of herself and then had to lie to her boss to avoid an unnecessary trip to the hospital. It was bad enough that she’d been caught unawares by a vengeful spirit and nearly revealed her powers. Now she was racing down ten flights of stairs while her head was still spinning because… what? Because she wanted to be seen as a stubborn brat? Or because she was just this petty?

The door to the stairwell banged closed and she caught a flash of white as she turned the corner on a landing. So he was following? _ Good. _

_No! Not good! What if he catches me?_

_Indeed. What if he does? _

Sharona took a deep breath and kept running down the steps, trying to clear the lust and anger out of her system before she had to face him again. Damn it - she hadn’t meant to make things this complicated. But when she’d gotten hurt, she’d instinctively done what she always had - thrown her _ furioku _, her spiritual energy, straight toward the wound in an attempt to speed up its healing. 

It was a simple process. She’d done it a million times before. But she hadn’t been prepared for Seto Kaiba to crowd her in, and try to take her to a doctor; nor had she known what to do when he’d nearly thrown a tantrum because she refused to do as told. This was not the time to rock the boat. She’d rocked it anyway.

And now he was gaining. Damn him for having longer legs than she. 

Sharona vaulted over the parapet, hoping to put more distance. Unfortunately, she was still dizzy from healing herself - her vision blurred and she landed on one knee, nearly falling all the way down the flight of stairs.

“Sharona, what the blazes are you doing! Stop!” And before she could find her footing, he was there, one arm closing around her waist and the other around her elbow. “For the love of all that’s holy, woman, will you at least calm down?”

“I’m _ fine _,” she spat, even though she felt anything but. 

Kaiba didn’t respond. His hand tightened on her hip, but instead of hauling her up, he guided her until they were both sat, side by side, on the steps. Her breathing was shaky as shame filled her - she couldn’t even look at his face.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out why this was happening. She was vulnerable and upset, and his hot-and-cold-and-hot-again shtick was only keeping her off balance. If she could only figure out where he stood with her, she could handle this better. She didn’t know whether to trust him or run away. 

“I owe you an apology,” he said, after the silence had stretched for too long.

“You owe me an apology?” she repeated, feeling uncharacteristically shy. “Did I fall down the rabbit hole instead of your stairs?”

“We can check, although I would have recognized a Wonderland if we went there.” He squeezed her arm, gently, before letting go and shuffling out of her personal space. “Listen, if I— if I went too far tonight, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like I did, and I shouldn’t have threatened to take you to go to a hospital.” There was a beat or two of silence, before he went on. “Going to the hospital is your choice. It wasn’t my place to demand that of you. I’m sorry.”

Sharona forced herself to raise her head, expecting to find him staring into the middle distance.

He wasn’t.

He was looking at her.

“Seto Kaiba, apologizing?” she said. “I think this qualifies as Wonderland.”

He shrugged. “I don’t like being wrong. But I can admit it.”

Sharona sighed. “I’m sorry, too. I’ve been very childish tonight--”

“Almost as if pushing your buttons had an effect,” he said. The corner of his mouth lifted. “Like I said. I shouldn’t have spoken to you as I did.”

“I would have done the same—”

“—if you were in my place, yes.” He raised a hand as if he was about to touch her, then dropped it quickly. The act made her strangely upset. “But you aren’t. And regardless of how we look at things, I’m the one that holds all the power here. Trying to exercise it further on you, even if it’s just banter, is a shitty thing to do.”

Sharona frowned. 

Her first instinct was to declare that ridiculous, that she liked their banter, and that she didn’t feel in the least like he’d been exerting power over her. 

_ But he was, though. And really, in what way was he different from the other rich bastards? Sally also didn’t feel used when she was hooking up with the Tao boy, but that didn’t lessen the hurt and betrayal she experienced after the fact. _

Sharona had to remind herself to stay in the now, but it was hard. Tonight, more than ever, she needed to feel strong and in control.

“I want to go home,” she said. 

Without objection, he stood up and helped her to her feet. The two made it to the parking, into the car, and throughout the entire drive without saying a single word to each other. 

It wasn’t until he was pulling up to the curb that he suggested that maybe they needed to stay away from each other for a bit. “I’ll arrange a car service for you,” he said, eyes staring ahead. “You can update me on your progress via the internal memo system. I’ll make sure you have access to everything you need to complete your project.”

“Is that what you want?” she asked.

He was still not looking at her. “There are rules for a reason,” he said. “Maybe when things are more equal…” Then he clamped his mouth shut, as if even this was too much information.

Sharona should have been glad. Instead, her feelings from the night - frustration, fear, shame, lust - bubbled up and coalesced into incandescent rage. 

And, as was always the case, when she was angry she turned cold. “Very well, Mr Kaiba,” she said. “I shall work hard to finish as quickly as possible.”

Her change of tone finally got him to look at her. “This is only for the best,” he said.

_ Ah yes, it’s for your own good, little girl. Just the old chestnut I needed. _ She gave him a wry, mocking smile. “I understand you perfectly, Mr Kaiba. Which is why I need to ask you this - in what world would the two of us ever be each other’s equal?”

He looked like she’d just slapped him. Once it became clear that he had no answer, she adjusted her bag and unclipped her seat belt. “I’ll have the chief of security lock this in the company safe tomorrow,” she said. “Thank you for your support, boss. Have a good evening.”


	13. Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own Yu Gi Oh or Shaman King.
> 
> Just a brain in desperate need of some distraction.

“So let me ask you one thing,” Lilly said, as she and Sharona made their tenth or so lap through the park. “Do you want to work for this guy, or do you want to fuck him? Because I don’t think there two things can happen in parallel to each other.”

Sharona let out a sigh that had nothing to do with the jog. “Yeah. I suspected as much.”

It was Sunday. They’d spent their week trying to get on with their lives, but the stress of their jobs, combined with the number of letters they’d received from “Ren Tao” regarding their debt, had resulted in the five girls becoming jumpy and irritable. It was bad enough when they weren’t seeing jiangshi everywhere - now they were even becoming paranoid to walk outside. It was unacceptable.

So when a semi-warm day had finally dawned, Sharona had ordered her friends into their sports gear and the five of them had gone to the only place where they could work out without having to pay. Sally and Ellie had made use of the free workout machines, Millie had gone to the skating ramp, and Lilly and Sharona had decided to run. _ Because why make their lives easy? _

“It’s a good job,” Lilly said, as they went past the skate park and saw Millie roller blade up a platform and perform a complicated jump. “You seem a lot happier in it than you were in anything else we did.”

“I know. I’m an idiot,” Sharona said. Pining for a rich guy - could she be any more of a walking cliche at this point? “It’s as if I enjoy the futility of it all.”

“Can’t tell you what’s hot or not,” Lilly said. “If that’s your kink, it’s your kink. I’d be remiss if I didn’t try to talk you out of it, though?”

“I know. You’re a good friend.”

In truth, Sharona had gone back and forth on whether the latest turn of events was a fortuitous one or not. On the one hand, not seeing Seto Kaiba every day meant she could focus on all of the things she _ ought to _ have been worrying about all this time. She could get her priorities in order. She could use her anger and anxiety in a productive way.

On the other, they weren’t seeing each other anymore because he was feeling some kind of way toward her, and he didn’t like it. As if enjoying her as a person was morally offensive to him. If she had one ounce less pride, Sharona would have marched into his office by now, tied him up and had her way with him, just to show him who’s boss. 

That had been how the conversation with Lilly had started, in fact.

“While some people enjoy that sort of thing,” her friend had said, “I would not attempt it without some prior discussion. At the very least, you need to check if he prefers handcuffs over rope.”

“I was thinking of using his own tie.”

“It won’t hold.” Lilly pushed her glasses up her nose. “Which is kind of a moot point because the way you describe him, the dude would have an aneurysm before you are able to get very far with him. Are you sure he isn’t just bored and that’s why he’s flirting?”

Sharona scoffed. “I’m hardly a decent challenge.”

Her friend snorted. The two ran on, keeping their pace as the park filled with young couples and families with children. Sharona couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret every time she saw a smiling mother with a little girl. Damn it, why had she told him anything about her past? Now she was having these stupid old feelings all the time, and she had no way to process them. 

“Do you think we’ll ever be free?” she asked Lilly as the two of them skirted around a large group of people. 

“From our past? Never.” Her friend vaulted effortlessly over a bench. “From debt? We can only wait and see. You said it yourself, someone may just be trying to use Sally to hurt Ren Tao. If that’s the case, all we have to do is not take the bait.”

“Easier said than done,” Sharona said. And as if the debt itself hadn’t been scary enough, she’d started seeing Jason de Vigny more around the building again. As if the asshole had smelled weakness and was now circling to find out what she and the CEO had been working on together.

“Which is why we need to support each other.” Lilly raised a hand and the two stopped to stretch by a lamppost. “Listen,” she added, “whatever it is that you are feeling right now, it’s not going to last forever. Not every guy that turns you on deserves you. One day, you will find someone who lights up your life and that you can trust. Okay?”

“Why am I not convinced?” Sharona sighed.

“Because you’re in too deep wanting the shiny that you can’t have.” Lilly grabbed her foot and pulled. “I’m not saying your feelings aren’t real. I’m saying, if you go and try to get this out of your system now, you’ll just regret it later.”

“Why?”

“Because you want him to come to you.” The girl looked over the artificial lake. The event hall where the latest big Duel Monsters tournament sat on the other end of the park, like some sort of post-modern castle. “You’re tired of responsibility, you’re tired of having to be the strong one, and you want the goddamn fairytale. If you compromise so that he can hold onto his pride, then you’ll just be angry after the fact. And I think you are perfectly justified in wanting what you do.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“Sorry. You’re not exactly trying to hide it.”

***

“We’re just observing today, Mokuba,” Seto said, as the two made their way to the private viewing platforms on top of the arena. 

“Why bring your deck, then?” his brother asked, looking genuinely disappointed.

The elder Kaiba shrugged. 

In reality, he hadn’t known why he’d agreed to come in the first place. There wasn’t a duelist in the entire arena that would pose even the slightest challenge to him. Even the idea of going up against Yugi Muto didn’t excite him. Crushing small fries for sport just felt below him, and the heavy-hitters all seemed dull in comparison. 

“She’s not here,” he said, when he noticed Mokuba scanning the names of the competition entrants. “Millie isn’t that interested in Duel Monsters to actually participate.”

“She did say she wanted to watch, though,” his brother said, looking ridiculously hopeful. “Did Sharona say something to you?”

No. In fact, he hadn’t even received a memo from her all week. 

“I just don’t think any of them would be here,” he said. From where he stood, he could see all of the floor below - in the first days, the arena would be heaving with challengers, each trying to win the necessary number of victories to make it to the next round. There were so many, in fact, that the VR disks and arenas hadn’t been put into action yet, with players choosing to sit on tables or even on the ground to do their battles. “And I don’t think we would be able to find them even if we looked.”

“That’s pessimistic,” Mokuba said. “I could call Millie and ask if they want to meet us anywhere.”

Seto turned, unsure if he heard right. “Call Millie?”

Mokuba held out his phone. “Um, yeah. You know. On here.”

“You have her number?”

“Duh! We exchanged them when you drove her to school that one morning.”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or chastise him. “And you two… talk a lot?”

“Mostly just texting. She shares a phone with her sister, so I can’t talk to her a lot in the evening.”

He rubbed his eyes. Where to even begin? 

“It’s okay, Seto,” his brother said, patting him on the back. “I get it.”

“Do you?”

“You wish Sharona was into Duel Monsters so that you could show off to her.”

How was it that one kid could be so perceptive in some occasions and totally wrong in others? “I don’t need to show off to anybody. Or want to.” 

“I’m sure you can find something that she would appreciate.”

Seto was about to say that wasn’t the point, and then gave up. Hell, for all he knew, Mokuba was on exactly the right track, and he was the one itching to flex on a woman via a card game.

That wasn’t to say he’d spent too much time dwelling on his last conversation with Sharona.

…A few minutes, perhaps…

…Or an hour…

…Every time he got into his car, or went past her floor, or noticed her tasks on the company management system go from assigned to completed, or saw anything that reminded him of her…

Nothing major. Just enough for him to process all the relevant info. 

“You seem convinced that there is something between me and Ms Ward,” he told Mokuba, as the two studied the arena below. Even from up high, they could see a few familiar duelists. Rex Raptor was there. So was Mai Valentine.

“You wouldn’t be going out of your way to deny it if that wasn’t the case,” his brother gave him a wide smile. “I’m glad. I like her.”

“You like her friend.”

“I can like Millie without being friends with everyone else she lives with,” Mokuba said. “But Sharona is nice, too. She doesn’t talk down on anybody and she’s really kind to people around the company. Nobody would hate her if she became your girlfriend.”

Somehow, that seemed an overly optimistic prediction. Seto wasn’t even sure he could get her to speak to him again after last time.

Once he’d dropped her off, he’d driven home and tried to relax. He’d reminded himself that this was for the best, that he was enforcing boundaries, and that every time he acted on his curiosity, he was putting her in a compromising position. For someone who had spent his life exercising impulse control, this was a remarkably difficult position to be put in. And she didn't appreciate it at the least. 

_ Well, screw her opinions then. I'm going to ignore her regardless of how she feels about it. _

He’d then stayed up past midnight, thinking about her raspy voice, the stubborn twist of her lips, and the way her eyes had looked when she’d told him she would have made him beg.

And then, there was that parting question. _ In what world would the two of us ever be each other’s equal? _

Leave it to Sharona to cut him to the bone without even trying.

There he was, trying to be a better man than he was, offering her a chance to make enough money so that they could remove that tension from between them. She’d thrown it in his face, exposing the flaw in the strategy: even if she made millions on this one patent, he was still the one making it happen, and no matter what her payday, it would be peanuts compared to his own net worth. If her idea didn’t work, she would get no money and probably not make it till the end of her internship. If her idea did work, she would still be his employee. 

Most galling, though, was how she’d delivered her remark. In what world, indeed! She’d made it sound like _ he _ was the one on weaker ground. He was Seto Kaiba, for fuck’s sakes! He was a genius, a CEO before he could drink, and he’d owned her ass throughout their interactions. She had to be completely delusional to think that she was winning when she’d been on her back foot since the beginning. 

Or maybe she knew something that he didn’t…

“Oh, you’re with the skaters?”

When did Mokuba have time to dial? Or have a conversation? Seto watched incredulously as his brother turned away from the view of the games and went straight to the outside windows. Sure enough, there was a skating area with several large vert ramps in the gardens right outside of the arena. 

There was a girl on top of the ramp, holding a phone to her ear and looking their way. Mokuba waved and she waved back, before closing the phone and roller blading up to the edge of the ramp. Once the person before he was finished, she dove forward, hair whipping in the wind, and performed a triple spin in the air over the ramp before landing elegantly and heading back up the ramp, catching the edge and pulling herself up.

_ Speaking of flexing. _

“Shall we go out to her?” he asked Mokuba.

“Don’t you want to watch the games?”

Seto glanced over his shoulder. “Nothing there interests me right now. Maybe by the time we come back, they’d have broken out the arenas.”

***

“How much longer do you think she wants to skate?” Sally asked while the four of them were watching Millie perform a 540 flatspin, to hoots and cheers from the rest of the people on the ramp. 

“Dunno, but I’m starting to dry up,” Lilly replied. “Do you suppose she’ll lose cool points if one of us goes up to grab her?”

They gave each other a measured glance. Their “sports kits” had been cobbled together from whatever the local thrift stores had that wasn’t too torn, baggy, and could still be altered to fit. The result was… eclectic at best. 

On the other hand, Sharona decided as she pulled the elastic from her hair and retied it in a high ponytail, there was a place for the boho look, and it wasn’t like they didn’t fill out their clothes well. They all had their favorite parts and displayed them advantageously - Lilly and Ellie with their legs, Sally with her arms, Millie with her long neck and cool hair. Sharona knew she cut a decent figure in a tank top, so why would she hide under a sweatshirt? 

“I think she’ll be fine,” Sharona said, turning. “We don’t have to go all the way up on the ramp, just flag her down.”

She was about to do just that, but Millie wasn’t looking in their direction at all. In fact, she seemed to be waving madly toward someone on the opposite end of the skating area. A boy with wild raven hair, standing next to a tall man with bright blue eyes.

“Oh, fuck,” Sharona muttered, as she felt the color rush to her face. “Oh, no.”

“Is _ that _ your boss?” Ellie said. “Now I see why you’ve been putting in so much overtime.”

“Elle!”

“What? I can’t notice?”

“Who wears a purple trench with a turtleneck?” Lilly said. “Seriously. Is he trying to telegraph ‘nerd’ to the world, or is this wholly accidental.”

Sharona turned as slowly as possible and dug through the backpack they’d brought to find her sunglasses. The only silver lining so far was that he hadn’t spotted them yet. She need to compose herself if she was going to interact with the bastard while wearing a sweat-stained singlet and neon green running shorts. 

“You look ravishing,” Sally assured her without prompting. 

“Quiet,” she hissed. “Now, we need to keep our cool if he notices us. He already knows too much.”

“We can distract him,” Ellie said, ruffling her hair. “He may be a rich bastard but we have a combined factor of awesome of five million.”

Sharona wasn’t feeling all that confident, but she had to weather the awkwardness. Casting a glance behind her, she was relieved to see that Kaiba wasn’t scanning the crowd for her. His attention was occupied by another group of people - two girls and four boys, one of whom with spiky purple and yellow hair.

“We may be lucky,” she said. “He’s distracted.”

“Mokuba is waving Millie over,” Sally pointed out. And their surrogate sister was skating over to them, without seeming to think twice about what she was doing.

The four women facepalmed as quietly as it was possible.

“Do we pretend we didn’t see that?” Ellie asked.

Sharona cast a glance at the area around them. They could try to work out, but she couldn’t imagine anything more mortifying than being approached by her boss while she was stretching.

“No.” She pushed the sunglasses up the edge of her nose. “Let’s just get this over with.”

***

“Just admit you’re chicken, Kaiba.”

Seto let his eyes skim over Wheeler, before focusing on Yugi again. He wasn’t going to dignify stupidity with his attention. He wasn’t. “I take it you’re participating. It seems like the sort of thing you’d be interested in.”

Yugi gave him a bright smile, not registering the insult. Or not caring. “Yep. I can’t wait to see what I can learn from the other duelists.”

“I would have thought that after the duel in Cairo, there wouldn’t be anything out there that would interest you.” That was how it had been for him, at least. Knowing that his arch rival for the last few years was actually two people, and that they had equal dueling prowess, had pretty much stolen the enjoyment of battle from him.

“There’s always things you can learn, Kaiba,” Yugi said. “If you come in the arena, I bet you’d be able to find strategies that even you find surprising.”

“Surprisingly inept, maybe.”

“Ah, leave him, Yuge,” Wheeler said. “He’s still salty about losing out to you so many times. Betcha he won’t even go against me.”

This was usually the part where Mokuba would jump in his defense, but his brother seemed more interested in watching what was happening on the other side of the skating barrier. Or, more specifically, at the girl who was now skidding to a halt next to them. 

Millie removed her helmet and beamed. “You came out! Don’t tell me it’s already gotten boring in there!”

The geek squad all turned to stare at her. They ought to - the girl’s hair was sticking in every direction and she looked a tiny bit manic, and Mokuba was staring at her like she was the best thing since ice cream. 

“Is that kid talking to you, Kaiba?” Wheeler muttered.

“Clearly not, or else she wouldn’t be smiling,” Tristan added.

“It’s fine, but a bit crowded,” Mokuba said. “We’ll come back in a bit. You’re welcome to join us, right, Seto?”

Seto felt his eye twitch a little bit. As if he hadn’t just spent five minutes telling the geek squad how the arena didn’t have anything of interest to him. “Sure,” he said.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly impose. Thanks though, Mr Kaiba,” Millie said. “We’ve got to go home soon, anyway.”

“Who’s we?” Tea Gardner started to say, then her eyes widened as she looked at something right over Seto’s shoulder. 

The hairs on the back of his neck stood and he reminded himself to keep his cool before glancing back. 

It had exactly zero help. 

Four women were walking around the skating ramp, one of whom was returning Millie’s wave. Their hairstyles and and clothes were different from when he’d seen them in the picture, but even if he hadn’t recognized the missing roommates, he would have known Sharona from the way she surveyed everything, lips pursed tightly. 

He should have been thinking of some snark about her clothing or the sunglasses she was wearing despite the fact that the sky was overcast. Instead, all he could notice was the fact that her hair was in a ponytail. The loose waves seemed to have a life of their own as she moved. And her body... His mouth instantly went dry as he realized how lucky he'd been she was wearing a technician's uniform on a day to day basis. 

He was in so much trouble.


	14. Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> Special kudos goes to my partner, who suggested Kaiba's reaction line when I first started talking to them about this pairing. Love you, Sloth x.

His life had turned into a soap opera. Seto wasn’t sure whether he was willing to embrace it or wish he could just wake up into a world where he had his dignity back. 

Unfortunately, his sweet little brother had missed the memo that things were super-awkward between him and Sharona. Not only had he introduced Millie and her friends to the dweebs, but was now actively trying to get them to come and watch Duel Monsters with them in the arena. He envied Sharona for having sunglasses now - all the residual embarrassment he felt was probably plain to see for everybody.

“That’s really kind,” Millie was saying again. “But we shouldn’t impose.”

“You wouldn’t be imposing. We’re inviting you.” Mokuba beamed. “And hey, you’ll get a chance to see my brother in action! Joey just challenged him to a duel, it should be great for you to watch.”

“It would be, except Kaiba’s afraid to take me up on it,” Joey said. He seemed to have trouble looking at the newcomers in their faces. In fact, everyone but Yugi seemed to have trouble looking away from the Lee-s, as if they hadn't seen women before. 

Not that this was any of his business.

Except the more Yugi's friends leered, the more Seto wanted to pummel their faces into the ground. Worse, he could swear Sharona knew he felt that way. Even if he couldn't see her eyes, the way she turned her head - quizzical, as if he was a problem she was trying to work out without a calculator - was enough to put him over the edge. As if she were saying _ You can't have your cake and be jealous, too. _

Except he wasn't jealous. He just took exception to women being objectified in his presence, especially by the same people who gave him a hard time about his own social skills. The fact that he had the impulse to whip off his coat and cover her from neck to ankle was for his own sake, not hers. How was he supposed to think with so much skin on display?

“The only thing I’m afraid of, Wheeler,” he said, taking the bait, “is that dueling you is not going to provide anyone with entertainment or instruction. Millicent there would be better off studying a book than watch me beat you into the ground.”

The girls raised their eyebrows almost simultaneously. Lilly, the dark-haired one, even let out a low whistle. “So, how long have the two of you been dating, then?”

Wheeler spluttered in indignation. Next to him, Tristan, Duke, Serenity and Tea turned red, trying to hold back their laughter. 

Seto smirked, glad for the opening. Catching Sharona's eyes again, he drawled, “What can I say, I have a terrible taste in men.” He did, however, have excellent taste in women. And if Sharona was offended that he was trying to treat her fairly, he would just have to find another way to impress her. Taking a few jokes at his expense was a start. Beating Wheeler was an even better one.

“Hey, wait a minute…” said man was saying, still unable to formulate a sentence. “I’m not— We’re not—”

“Come along, cupcake,” Seto said, grabbing him by the elbow, “I can arrange a private dueling arena for our party.”

Sharona didn’t even take her glasses off. But he could have sworn he saw her lips twitch. 

Result.

***

Maybe it was just her, but Sharona had the feeling that a game of Duel Monsters, when stripped of the sassy one-liners and fancy graphics, was just a five-minute affair with predictable outcomes and a disappointing conclusion. 

“I mean, the people most excited about this game are the same people who like to put giant towers all over the world,” Lilly muttered as she shared that observation with her. “Somebody must be compensating for something.”

Sharona tried not to laugh. 

They were gathered around a Duelist Kingdom-era arena, as Joey and Kaiba were taking their places. Sharona and her friends had followed Mokuba on one side of the arena while the rest of the group - which she realized now included Yugi Muto, aka Kaiba Corp Enemy Number One - went around the other end. Millie and Mokuba had gone up all the way the front to better see the field. 

She had stayed behind all the way to the back of the room. Seto caught her eye just before his platform was raised above the field. 

“You won’t see anything from there,” he called out.

She’d just raised her eyebrow at him. She didn’t know whether he realized this or not, but the view from where she sat was _ excellent _.

“I think I need help,” Sharona whispered.

“Seems like you’ve got a good handle on everything,” Ellie replied. “But can we talk about what else is on the other side of that arena? Soooo many bad decisions just waiting to happen.”

“Two of these boys are taken,” Sally said. “And one of the others looks like he would rather steal the girl than chase someone new.”

“Like I said - so many bad decisions just waiting to happen.”

Sharona sighed. “Maybe we should just leave Millie to it.”

“And miss out on all of this fun?” Lilly asked, as Joey put his first monster on the field along a face down card. “Let’s face it, we don’t have anything better to look forward to.”

Sharona glanced at her, but her brainy friend was staring at Duke Devlin as she said that. 

They watched as the duel unfolded, and it was pretty much as she expected. Lots of back and forth, clever one-liners, and overly dramatic reveals of monsters and trap cards. Seto wasn’t looking at her anymore, seemingly focused entirely on pummeling his opponent, but… there was no joy to it. He didn’t seem particularly bothered when Joey scored a win, and he didn’t appear happy when he re-established his dominance. 

Why was he even bothering with the theme parks then? Why was he pouring time and money into making this dream into a reality, when it wasn’t even giving him any joy?

“Is it just me or is this Joey more into this than Kaiba is?” Sally asked.

“Must be a staple of their relationship. None of the others are noticing.”

Sharona frowned. The darkness around Kaiba seemed to have gotten even deeper since the duel began, and now it seemed to coalesce into a larger form above him.

“You girls seeing this?” she asked.

“Yep. He’s in deep shit.” Lilly bit her lip.

Across the arena, Joey used a magic card to age his monster and three of Kaiba’s. Apparently that was a bad thing, although Sharona wouldn’t have been able to tell from Seto’s demeanor, as one of said monsters got destroyed. The shadows, however, were reacting in all sorts of strange ways as he drew another card.

“Ah,” he said, “It’s such a shame that our time has come to a close, Wheeler.”

As he sacrificed the last two monsters, the shadows reared up and turned into a bright figure right behind his back. A tiny woman with white hair, barefoot and dressed in rags. She turned and gave Sharona a look full of despair as a dark collar swirled around her neck and wrists.

“Who _ did _ this to you?” Sharona whispered, while the girl’s eyes filled with tears.

Seto didn’t notice her. Of course he didn’t. He couldn’t see ghosts. 

“Now, I sacrifice my two monsters to bring out my ultimate beast,” he said. “Come forth, Blue Eyes White Dragon!”

This was no doubt meant to be a triumphant moment but not from where Sharona was sitting. Before her eyes, the girl transformed into a larger version of the monster on the field. A larger, angrier, and more battle-scarred version… that was now turning toward her. The collar around its throat was digging deep into its scales, driving it mad. 

Sharona inhaled sharply.

“No,” she said. “I’m not your enemy.”

“Afraid, Wheeler?” Seto was saying. “You should be. There isn’t a single monster in your deck that can withstand my Blue Eyes, and your measly life points will be wiped out in one stroke. Now, my beast, attack his thousand-years dragon!”

And as he did so, the ghost dragon opened its maw toward Sharona. On the other side of the field, there were screams and shouts from Yugi and his friends, as though they could see the monster, too. 

Seto paused and looked up, finally. His eyes widened in shock, but it was too late. The dragon in the air, as the dragon on the field, was attacking.

Four sets of hands threw themselves up in the air. Four sets of spirit guardians went into four sets of mediums, coalescing into a shield, bracing for impact, as the white lightning engulfed them.

***

His heart literally stopped.

One moment, he was wiping the floor with Wheeler - a boring victory. The next, he was looking up at a twin of his Blue Eyes, aiming an attack at the audience. At a very specific part of his audience.

Before the creature even disappeared, he was vaulting over the platform and into the ground. He only stopped to make sure Mokuba was fine - he was, and he was holding Millie back from running toward the back - before taking off himself.

The blast had thrown Sharona and her friends into the wall, the four of them crumbling to the floor as soon as the electric blast subsided. All four of them were gasping and spasming, their limbs clenched in unnatural tension. 

“Turn off the power source,” Seto shouted at the techs who seemed not to realize what was happening. “Now! Quickly, before someone else gets hurt.”

The room plunged into darkness as his hands found a long feminine neck and felt for pulse and breathing. A gasp, followed by hands pushing his away. “I’m fine,” Sally choked out. “Go to Shar.”

He didn’t need to hear more.

Lilly, Ellie, and Sally were already pushing themselves up, even as the emergency lights came on. Sharona, on the other hand, was still on the floor, still spasming uncontrollably, eyes rolled toward the back of her head and blood trickling through her nose and ears.

He thought he might be sick. Her pulse was hammering into her neck, but she was clearly in pain and in shock. He paused to throw off his trench coat and cover her, before dialing emergency services and telling them to get to the arena immediately. 

When asked what had happened, he’d hesitated only for a moment.

“Electric failure,” he’d snapped, closing his phone and bracing Sharona’s head to keep her from bashing it against the floor. 

***

In the end, the crisis lasted less than two minutes. The after-effects, however, followed them well into the afternoon. 

Emergency services didn’t let people just get up and walk after being hit with goodness-knows-how-much electricity. Sharona, Ellie, Lilly, and Sally had been bundled in the back of an ambulance, given several different shots and ordered to lay still while the paramedics monitored their response. Words like internal organ damage and compartment syndrome got thrown around, even as Sharona tried assuring them that she felt fine.

And she did.

Feel fine, that was. Once after her spiritual energy had rushed to heal her, she’d gotten a lot better.

That, however, was not what Kaiba or anybody else had seen. No, as far as he was concerned, she’d very nearly died and the fault was clearly in the machines in the arena.

“Who did the maintenance on those pieces of crap?” She could hear him arguing loudly with someone, right outside the ambulance door. “How dare you allow people to even use them?”

If anybody tried contradicting him, they were quickly shot down. From where she was sitting, it sounded pretty much like a one-sided conversation.

Later, when her IV bag got changed, she heard something else. A kindly voice asking him how he was feeling.

“You’re lucky my brother wasn’t hurt,” Seto said. “Or else this whole place would be getting shut down.”

“Do you know where that second dragon came from, Kaiba?” She tried placing the voice. Was it Yugi Muto? She couldn’t be sure and she wasn’t supposed to move just yet. “It looked like it flew right from behind you.”

“There must have been a malfunction with the graphics. And an electric failure. Some moron didn’t care enough to do proper maintenance. We’re lucky that we were such a small party, otherwise there might have been actual fatalities.”

“Are you sure it was the arena? It didn’t look quite right…”

“If you launch into one of your stupid speeches about ghosts and past lives, I swear—”

That was new. Sharona pushed herself up on an elbow. Across from her, Ellie raised an eyebrow and mouthed the word ‘ghosts?’ while glancing toward the door.

Yep. That was new information to her too. So far she’d assumed Seto Kaiba didn’t see or believe in spirits. But if he’d been exposed to these ideas before— the implications were endless.

She was still wearing the trench coat he’d used to keep her warm until the medics had arrived. She’d been mortified when she’d first come to, but now, after reflection and some breathing space… a lot of things were becoming clearer to her now.

“Do you think you’re well enough to take Millie home?” she asked Ellie.

“We’ll be fine. But what about you?”

Sharona pulled the coat closer around herself. It smelled like cologne and sun and man. She felt her head swim and that old lick of fear that a confrontation with her mortality brought. “I need to stay behind. Clear a few things out.” 

At the very least, if Kaiba had latent powers to see spirits, she had to see to what extent he could control them. The danger of being around someone who did not realize they were performing oversoul or possession of an object was that they could obliterate you and you wouldn’t even know it happened. And if Seto had these powers, then Mokuba most likely did too. In fact, from the sounds of it, Yugi and his friends were more comfortable with the idea of spirits than either of the Kaiba brothers. 

What else did they know about? The tournament? The outcomes? It seemed unlikely, but still - stranger things had happened. If Kaiba had powers, how likely was he to know the Tao clan? Was he privy to their games? Was he part of them? Maybe all the events from the past few months were a lie and she was just being strung along.

“I can see you over-thinking,” Ellie whispered. “Stay in the now, Shar. He’s not such a good actor to have duped you.”

“Maybe you’re right,” she said without conviction.

At least she and Kaiba had one thing in common. They both hated being at a disadvantage.

***

“I see you were spared a trip to the hospital, troublemaker.”

He didn’t know why he was being so mean, except he really, really did not like being scared. He’d watched the rest of her friends get discharged out of the ambulances, thanking him for his quick response, and all he’d wanted was to tell them to save it. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted.

But seeing Sharona jump out of the back of the medical van had made something inside of him snap.

“Indeed,” she said. “Apparently I only got away with a mild shock, thanks to you.”

His eye twitched. Thanks to him? The only thing she had to thank him for was bringing them all into an unsafe area and then using an arena without having checked all the maintenance had been carried out. It was lucky indeed that she was fine, and that there had been an ambulance at the convention centre already. If he'd had one ounce of patience less, he would have carried her to his car to take her to the hospital himself. _ Dignity? Self-respect? What were those things? _

“Hm. At least you see now why we work so hard to make sure all equipment is safe to use,” he said, looking around angrily. Her friends had gone ahead to look for Millie. He was sure they’d be back soon.

Sharona didn’t move. When he turned to ask her what she was still doing there, he noticed she was fiddling with the purple coat, now draped over her arm. “I was going to give this back,” she said. “But it got stained. I’ll get it dry-cleaned and delivered to your office as soon as possible.”

She thought he was angry about a _ coat? _

Seto walked up, grabbed the offending garment from her and shook it out. He threw it back over her shoulders and pulled it tight. “You were bleeding out of your ears and nose. I couldn’t miss that if I tried." He fixed the buckles so that it was closed around her body and neck. Big mistake. From this close, he was acutely aware of the warmth of her body, the earthy smell of copper and salt of her hair. The trench swallowed her whole, but instead of helping, it made him think of having her while she wore that and nothing else. "Focus on staying warm now - what’s the point of surviving an electric shock if you die of the flu?”

Her hands came up and covered his own before he could pull away. “Do you know what happened in there?” Her voice was cool but her skin burned. “I mean, really happened?”

Seto closed his eyes, fought for control. “There was a malfunction. A mirror hologram of my Blue Eyes projected over me while an electric current…” He stopped as he remembered holding her convulsing body, grit his teeth. “An electric current his you and your friends. You seemed to take on most of the damage.”

“How is that even possible?” she said.

Seto forced himself to step back and look at her. She stood there, healthy and whole. That was what mattered, nothing else. “Shoddy maintenance and cheap managers, that’s how. I’ll be having words with whomever said that arena was fit for purpose.”

“Electric currents don’t behave in this way,” she said. “How was it that it hit just as this mirror hologram was supposed to be attacking? And aiming straight for myself and my friends, when the arena itself was more likely to draw the charge? I don’t believe it.”

True, it had behaved in a weird way. And he had a few unpleasant experiences, including his own trip to Noah’s virtual world, to inform his suspicions. But he wasn’t about to tell her any of it. “Hm. Maybe you should change your name to Daphne, to go with your penchant for accidents.”

“I’m serious. I’ve seen this happen before - but not from malfunctioning tech.”

That got his attention. 

“What then?”

She frowned. It was as though she expected him to have filled in the gaps. Uncertainty flashed in her eyes, and he could tell she was trying to decide whether to backpedal or not. 

“Just tell me,” he snapped. “Unless you think I can’t be trusted with this much.”

A muscle on the side of her jaw started twitching. “Earlier, I heard you and Yugi talk about ghosts.”

An incredulous laughter bubbled out of him. “Really? You too?” Seto shook his head. “You must have received a greater shock than I thought.”

“So you don’t see the dead? Never felt their presence or interacted with them as though they were real? Never been physically attacked by something that shouldn’t exist?”

His laughter cut off abruptly. He reminded himself that Ishizu Ishtar had been sprouting similar nonsense, and he hadn’t believed her - all the way up to seeing Yugi and Atem separated, he had had an explanation for everything he saw. And there was this woman, who presented as a scientist and an engineer, saying almost exactly the same things. 

“Well?” she asked.

“You should have gone to the hospital. You're having a concussion.”

Sharona muttered something that sounded like ‘enra enra’. Pink smoke appeared out of nowhere, curling around her head, and then a figure appeared. It looked like a 1940’s cigarette girl with cotton candy hair and big blue eyes. 

Seto was vaguely aware of his mouth dropping open.

“Well?” Sharona asked again, now weary.

“Impressive,” he said. “You got a projector working. I’m not familiar with this Duel Monster, though.”

Sharona breathed a long sigh, then locked eyes with a parking attendant that was loitering nearby. “Hey! Do you see this girl here?” she asked, pointing at the black-clad creature.

The attendant seemed baffled. “Who?”

“Nevermind,” she shouted. “I hit my head earlier. I’ll go to the hospital.”

The attendant hurried away, cussing about kids these days under his breath. Seto, meanwhile, was vaguely aware of the creature walking up closer to him and poking his arm. It felt real. Colder than a regular person, sure, but undoubtedly solid. She raised an eyebrow, and pushed him a little harder. That actually made him stumble back.

“What the hell is this?” he asked, trying to keep the hysteria out of his voice.

“Her name is Enra Enra,” Sharona said. “She’s how I was able to deface those plans without Jason being able to prove it.”

His mouth opened and closed. No noise came out, until he managed, “I take it that’s how you got your notes to my office, too.”

Her expression softened. “Just for deliveries. She can’t speak or write by herself.” 

“And you only saw fit to tell me now?”

Finally, she looked away. A shiver seemed to run through her body. “Most people can’t see spirits - and it doesn’t impact them if they don’t know of their existence. They can’t harm you, or even become corporeal unless someone like me lends them strength. It’s not exactly something I advertise.”

Because it was crazy. And, until the events in Egypt, Seto would have dismissed them as crazy, too. 

Dimly, he noticed her hugging her arms around herself, as if bracing for a blow. There was a scar running up one of her exposed arms, zig-zagging from her elbow to her shoulder and her collarbone. Raising his hand, he touched the pale skin with the tips of his fingers. “I take it that these spirits aren’t always friendly.” His voice sounded rough. Rougher than usual.

Sharona chuckled. “You would be correct.”

“And what happened today—”

“I don’t know why it attacked us… why it aimed a current at me,” she corrected. “If I had to guess, it was scared.”

Seto took a deep breath. He was standing in the middle of a parking lot, discussing spirits with a woman who had just been struck with an electric current. A woman who could take an injury like that and then walk around not two hours later, fully healed. 

And he had been dueling two people for years, lost his soul multiple times, and traveled to Ancient Egypt through a stone slab in a tomb. Among other things. Who was really the one in the wrong here - Sharona for believing what she experienced, or him for denying what was right in front of his eyes?

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Mokuba had taken the company car to drop Millie and her friends at their flat and was now safe at home. There were no outstanding responsibilities left, no reasons for them to be out in the cold.

“Come on,” Seto said. “We’re leaving.”

“Where to?” 

She was still weary. Still braced for pain.

Seto reached out and - as gently as he could - took her hand in his. He was done fighting. Done drowning. “Somewhere we can finish this conversation without you freezing to death.”


	15. Why not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter in which this fic finally starts to earn its rating... errr... one NaNoWriMo in.
> 
> Maybe I shouldn't be writing romance. I mean it took me three attempts to get this chapter right.

The town car deposited them in an underground garage in a private apartment complex, a couple of blocks away from Kaiba Corp’s HQ. Sharona stared in shock as a security guard swiped a card Seto had given him, then, with a polite nod, took them up to the top floor in the elevator.

“What is this place?” she asked, when the two of them were alone in a corridor. Enra Enra had retreated back into the medium in Sharona’s backpack, seemingly too embarrassed to be in the same space as Kaiba for too long. 

“Private residence.” He walked her to the furthest door in the corridor and unlocked it. “I keep a foothold in here for occasions when I need to stay downtown.”

Sharona raised an eyebrow as she took in the place.

If anybody had told her she’d visit Seto Kaiba’s own pied-a-terre, she would have imagined some kind of sprawling penthouse with ten bedrooms and a jacuzzi in the middle of the living room. Instead, she walked in an apartment that made student accommodation look posh. A bathroom and a tiny kitchenette backed up all the way to the door. The living space was one room with a pull-out bed, a chair, and a desk. The whole thing couldn’t be more than two hundred and fifty square feet… tops. 

“Trying to relive your college years?” she asked, looking around. There were books and magazines piled at the desk, as well as a suitcase full of clothes tucked in the far corner of the place. “The girls must be so disappointed when you bring them home.”

“People don’t raise their expectations if you don’t give your name,” he said. “And I wouldn’t risk bringing strangers to the same house where Mokuba is.”

Of course he wouldn’t. His brother’s safety was paramount. She and the girls had been the same with Millie - all booty calls and hookups happened at the guy’s place. 

_ Was _ this a booty call? All the signs pointed towards it, and she wasn't opposed to the idea, but the mood felt distinctly... un-sexy.

“Why are we here?” she asked.

“Would you rather we went to the office?” He was messing around with the electric kettle and coffee. “You’re shaking like a leaf, and you look exhausted. We wouldn't be able to get past the door of a restaurant or a hotel without raising questions. I assume you didn’t want to have this conversation in front of your friends, or else you wouldn’t have sent them away. Doesn’t leave me with many options, does it?”

She sighed. “No. I suppose not.” She really needed to book in to get that "big idiot" tattoo. Sooner rather than later. People needed to know what they were dealing with before they spoke to her, after all.

She couldn't fathom what was left for them to discuss, though. She had been so sure he knew about spirits, but when she’d been up front with him about Enra Enra, he’d revealed that he knew even less than she thought. Instead of confronting him about whether or not he knew anything about the tournament, she found herself in even less pleasant territory - navigating explaining the spirit world to a sceptic. A sceptic who she wanted. A sceptic who was her boss and who had made it clear he found the idea of her as appealing as a medical exam.

“Well?” she asked, falling back on animosity to guide her way. “You wanted to finish this conversation. Finish it.”

“In a hurry?”

“I ran ten miles this morning and I haven’t had a shower yet. There’s still dry blood in my hair. Yeah, I’d like to go home sooner than later.” 

Kaiba raised an eyebrow, before opening a hidden cupboard in the corner and pulling out a set of towels. “Feel free to use the facilities here. I’ll order take out.”

Right, as if she'd be getting naked within ten feet of him anytime soon.

“I don’t want to eat.”

He finished making the coffees and brought her the mug. Her hand shook as she took it - so much so she chose to put it down immediately. 

“You took a bit of a beating today,” Kaiba said. “I can’t force you, but I’d feel a bit better if you got some nutrients in you.” 

Where had this guy been when they’d been making Millie eat leafy greens? Sharona took a calming breath and reminded herself that being proud for the sake of pride was just hurting her. “I’m too anxious to eat and I’m too anxious for pleasantries. Appreciate this and all—” she gestured between them “—but I’m not going to suddenly relax, so let’s just get this over with.”

“If I had any bad intentions toward you, do you not think I would have made them clear by now?”

“I don’t know you well enough to tell, Mr Kaiba.”

The title made him flinch and he took a step back, getting away from her personal space. “Right then. You see ghosts.”

“Yes.”

“And you can make them do your bidding?”

“Within limits.”

“Which are?”

Sharona tried to take a sip of her coffee without spilling it everywhere. “I can send Enra Enra to bring small messages here and there. I can use her as a weapon if I am attacked directly. I can make her sabotage bits of machinery, although I haven’t done that in years.” She gave him a defiant look. “I haven’t been responsible for any malfunctions in Kaiba Corp.”

“I should hope not. What else?”

She shrugged. “Enra Enra is a chameleon. She can impersonate people, although I have to put in an effort for others to see her. I can throw my voice to make it sound like she speaks, but she cannot communicate herself. That’s pretty much it.”

“Just?”

Another shrug. “I’m not strong. None of us girls are. There are people who can manifest spirits as tall as skyscrapers and rain destruction on their enemies. But it takes huge amounts of spiritual power.” She pursed her lips. “I tend to send mine to wounds first instead of throwing it outward. I heal faster than the average person but I suck when I play in offence.”

Kaiba looked down at her palm as she said that. Sharona nodded. “Yeah. I did that in the workshop the other night. And today, too.”

“It’s how you’re able to talk after that current struck you,” he said. “You still looked like you were having a cardiac arrest, though.”

She sipped her coffee again. “I did.”

“What?”

“Well, it felt like one, anyway. But I could be wrong. I was distracted. I’m used to healing first and asking questions later.”

Kaiba nodded. “I see. And that is all you can do.”

“Yes. It’s all I can do.” She straightened up. “Why did you want to know? Trying to decide how much of a threat I am?”

“Pretty much.”

“And?”

“And I’m afraid I can’t have you working in Kaiba Corp anymore.”

She sucked in a breath. Even though she’d been expecting for something unpleasant, that _ hurt _. It hurt like a motherfucker.

_ Keep your head up. You’re strong. You do not cry in front of rich bastards. _

“Well,” she said. “At least it’s not the first time I’ve been fired for seeing dead people.”

The rich bastard in question frowned. Not the reaction he was hoping. Tough. She set her coffee down and pulled her borrowed coat closed around her. Time to make an exit.

“I’m not finished,” he said.

“I am.” She scooped up her backpack and bowed at him. “Thanks for giving me a chance, anyway. I know you won’t believe it, but I appreciated getting some decent work for once.”

Kaiba stepped in front of her. He wasn’t actively blocking the door, and she could probably throw him out of the way, but adding assault to her crimes didn’t strike her as a good way to end their relationship.

“I am not firing you,” he said. “Hear me out before you leave, at least.”

Her treacherous eyes started to burn. Damn him and his ability to fake concern when it suited him. It would have been so much easier if he was just a jerk. “You just said I can’t work at Kaiba Corp anymore. What else does that mean, if not ‘you’re fired’?”

“Lots, if you let me explain. Please,” he added, as if the word hurt him.

She crossed her arms. “Ten seconds.”

“There isn’t anything you will learn on the internship program that you don’t already know. But I can recommend you to a new company. Give you a certificate for completing the course at Kaiba Corp early and get you references that will land you any job you want.”

“Any job but my current one,” she said. “And I guess this is the end of my involvement on the project.”

Kaiba was silent.

“Don’t I get to finish the prototype at least?” 

“I’m sorry, no,” he said. “I’ll have the paperwork drawn up to compensate you for the work you have done so far and I will pay you fairly for your patent, even if it is incomplete. But you can’t be my employee anymore.”

“I told you most people can’t see ghosts. I keep my business to myself. This problem of mine will go away soon. Why do you have to let me go when I have done nothing to hurt you?”

"You know why."

She did. And she was furious about it. 

So furious, in fact, that tears were starting to prickle at the corners of her eyes. Glaring at him, she took a step, and then another, until they were toe to toe. She was close enough to see his pupils dilating. "You know what I don't like?" she said. "People who say one thing and then do another. If I offend your sensibilities so much, then tell me so. But don't fucking pretend that you don't want me as much as I want you, because this? This is getting really old."

Her backpack hit the floor as Seto Kaiba pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Reacting on instinct, she turned her head, opened her mouth, and buried her hands in his hair. He took full advantage, pushing her up against the desk and deepening the kiss, one of his thighs sliding between her own. Tilting her hips up, she sighed at the friction, while one of her hands slid under his arm to grope his ass.

Her response must have been encouraging, because he ground harder against her, and she felt the length of him pressing against the apex of her thighs. Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach and she sucked on his tongue a little harder. She wanted his weight on her. She wanted all of him, right now. 

While she still had sweat and blood drying on her body and in her hair. 

The flash of self-conscious anxiety was enough to chill her ardor. Instantly, he froze, then pulled back. She was sprawled on his desk, their legs were intertwined, and he looked like he was waiting for her to slap him. 

She took a deep breath and tucked a curl behind her ear. “Well, now I’m wishing I took that shower.” 

Seto closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging. “You can have it now,” he said, pulling her up carefully. His hand lingered on her back and the curve of her buttock, before he stepped aside. “I… have more I want to talk to you about. But I want you to be comfortable.”

“I think I’d like to make myself more comfortable as well,” she said, wishing he’d put his hands back on her again.

“And I will throw dinner into the deal, as well.” He paused. “Um, and I have some things that you could wear if you like.”

She smiled and picked up her backpack. “Luckily I have a change of clothes with me. I do have to make a call, though.” She allowed her grin to turn witchy. “You don’t want to know what my friends will do if I don’t update them.”

***

To say that things hadn’t gone _ exactly _ according to plan was an understatement.

He’d been hoping to keep his cool throughout the whole conversation, laying down the facts before letting her decide how she wanted to proceed. He wasn’t going to bring up his ridiculous crush in the mix. He couldn’t have a woman in his company who attracted angry spirits to her or could make them corporeal. He certainly didn’t want anything he couldn’t defend against near his brother. 

More fool him. All it had taken for her to head for the door for him to lose his precious control.

Every time he thought he’d figured her out, she showed him how completely he’d underestimated her.

He’d paced the tiny living space, done push-ups, changed into slacks and a button-down, and checked if the sheets on the bed were clean. Not because he was expecting something, he told himself, but because it was one of two places in the whole apartment that she could sit. Thai food was on its way and he had every beverage she could ask for chilling in the fridge. He could do this right. He would do this right.

The door to the bathroom opened and she stepped out in a crisp white shirt and black trousers, wet hair piled on the back of her head. Her feet were bare. 

If the goal was to hide how hot she was, she was failing.

Or maybe, he realized, there wasn’t a goal to this. He remembered how put off he’d been by her appearance at first, what a difference several months had made. For all he knew, this was how she got comfortable at the end of a day.

“Tell me,” he said, “do you always bring a change of clothes with you when you go running?”

“You never know what emergency might happen,” she said, carefully hanging up her backpack in the corridor before coming into the room. She looked at him, sitting at the corner of his own bed, then to his surprise, she came up and sat cross-legged on the opposite end. 

“You get a lot of those? Emergencies I mean?”

“Let’s just say, I’ve been stuck outside without my wallet and clean underwear enough times to not want a repeat.” She shrugged. “Such is life.”

Seto’s eyes automatically dropped to her body. Though her clothes looked innocent enough, the bra under her shirt was definitely not white. He coughed and looked away. “Right. Of course.”

“So…” she said, when the silence got too awkward. “I take it that the whole ghost thing is what pushed the scales against me.”

“As far as the company goes, yes. I’m afraid so.” He had to look at her in the eye as he said that. He owed her that much. “I was thinking that once you finished your project and sold us the patent, I’d see whether our dynamic would change. At the very least, I didn’t want you to be financially dependent on me if I— well…” he shrugged and gestured between them, as if that explained everything. 

He was smoother than this. He was.

Sharona blushed a little. “I… er… wish I’d thought of that before.”

“You’re not the one who needs to set an example for a whole company, Sharona.”

“Seto—” she started, then stopped, as if calling him by his name was more difficult than kissing him. “I haven’t exactly been very charitable to you, either. I didn’t lie - I love this job and I appreciate being given a chance. Damn it, I didn’t think I’d have half a shot at doing what I’ve done. But I wasn’t some perfect little angel there, either.”

“On the scale of who behaved worse, I think I deserve the lion’s share of the blame.” There was a knock at the door and he stood up, glad for the distraction. “That’ll be dinner.”

She kept out of sight as he received the delivery and tipped the man, then leaned against the partition separating the kitchen from the main living area, looking weary.

“Not a fan of curry?”

“I can eat curry for days. Stomach is still in knots though.” 

He reached out. The space was so tiny they could touch each other without problem. He put the back of his hand on her forehead, then, slid it to her cheek. She sighed and leaned into his touch. 

“I feel like I maybe I should have been more honest from the beginning,” she said. “It seems like too much to go through all at once.”

“You don’t have to say anything to me.” He pulled away. “And for what it’s worth, I wasn’t exactly reciprocating on the information front.”

“I know. At one point I thought you were trying to put distance between us because the idea of me repelled you.”

He went still, caught off guard even though he shouldn’t have been.

The idea of her did not appeal him, in more ways than one. Her life was dangerous - she’d pretty much admitted to having a target on her back. She could be harmed by both the living and the dead. Her life story horrified him in how easily it could have been his own. And he was pretty sure she and her friends were breaking some kind of federal law by taking custody of a minor without a court order. 

And yet… 

It was exactly because of their similarities that he couldn’t judge her. Who was to say that he wouldn’t have done the same in her place? Worse - if she was the successful one, just how easily would he have fallen for her? Seto Kaiba wasn’t the kind of man who liked being led around by his groin, and yet that was exactly what was happening, and that was how it always would have been.

“It did repel you,” she said, because she was better at reading him than he was at hiding it. “It still does.”

“Would you rather I lied to you?”

Sharona shook her head no. Then she gave him a grin. “No. But I’m glad you didn’t tell me that earlier, either.”

His stomach dropped as she walked toward him. He was nervous. He was actually nervous. He told himself to stay calm, but when his back hit the front door, he knew he’d lost the battle before it had even started.

“Oh?” He couldn’t recognize his own voice. “Why is that?”

Instead of answering, she put her hand - the one that had gotten burned, the one that didn’t have so much as a scar on it now - on his stomach and then slid it up his chest. Even through the layers of fabric, it felt like an electric shot. She splayed that hand, her fingers grazing a nipple and making him hold his breath. Then she grabbed hold of the fabric and yanked his mouth to hers.

His knees went weak.

He thought he’d been rough that first time, but this was something else. The way she held him in place, the way her tongue slipped into his mouth, the way her other hand roamed under his shirt… he wasn’t just being kissed, he was being _ owned _. Her blunt nails scraped his stomach and she caught his lower lip with her teeth, grazing just a bit. He shouldn’t have been enjoying this, but all he could think of was _ moreyesplease. _

“Why indeed?” she said as she trailed kisses up his jaw. His hips jerked as he felt both her hands on his stomach now. She chuckled and pushed him back against the door, pinning him in place. The sound of her laughter was sexy enough - with the added stimulus, he had to do calculus in his head to avoid embarrassing himself completely. 

“Why indeed…” 

“Distracted there, Trouble?” he asked, trying to sneak in another kiss. 

She responded by biting his neck - not some gentle graze, a proper have-fun-explaining-that-to-your-coworkers bite. At the same time, her hand undid his trousers and wrapped around him. Seto groaned and let his head fall against the door. 

“Now, now, Mr Kaiba,” she said in her deepest, huskiest voice. “It’s rude to interrupt.”

This had, apparently, turned into a lesson on manners.

“I asked you a question,” he challenged. 

Sharona pulled back enough to look at him in the eyes. “You want me to stop? Or do you want your answer?” Her hold loosened.

Instantly, his hand was on her wrist, keeping it in place. He couldn’t find the words… but the desperation must have been plain to see, because she smiled again and resumed her ministrations. Seto sighed. “Yes.”

“Yes what, Mr Kaiba?”

Was she about to call him that all night? If that was the case, he had zero objections. “Yes, I want my answer.”

“Will you behave long enough to hear it?” She rubbed her thumb over his head, doing something with the rest of her fingers that made his eyes roll back. 

“Anything you want.” And it was the truth. 

Another nip at his throat, more playful this time, as he let go of her hand and left her to her own devices.

“You see,” she explained, picking up her pace, “I’m not very good with swallowing my pride.” She pushed up against him, chest to chest. He could feel the heat of her skin, the soft rasp of her hair against his cheek… all the while her hands drove him wild. “Oh, I can handle it well enough when it doesn’t matter. But I don’t like it when a guy scorns me.”

Her fingers curled tighter, letting him feel her nails just enough to make him hold his breath. 

“So if you pushed me away… and I learned that it was because you didn’t like the optics…”

“What?” he rasped, as she slowed. “What would you have done?”

She kissed him again, as passionately as the first time. He responded in kind - he didn’t see how that wasn’t behaving - hoping to put in as much fire as apology in it. Her other hand slipped his trousers down his hips, freeing him completely. He heard a crinkle in the distance, then her hand moved for long enough for her to roll a condom on him.

“What I would have done,” she said, pausing for long enough to give his neck one last long lick, “was tie you in your stupid big chair and given you blowjob after blowjob. Only then, I wouldn’t have let you have release.”

Before he could process what she’d said, she dropped to her knees and replaced her hand with her mouth.

And that was pretty much the last coherent thought he had. 

***

He’d promised to behave, but his hands were roaming her shoulders, her neck, the back of her head; his fingers dug into her hair in desperation. She looked up and she saw the pulse in his neck, the tension in his jaw. He was close, so close. 

She swirled her tongue around him and took him in deeper, relaxing her throat as much as she could. He let out a hoarse cry. “Goddamn it, please.”

_ Stop reciting the periodic table in your head then, _ she thought, enjoying the heady rush of power even as her own knees were starting to hurt. _ Let go. I want you to. _

“For pity’s sake.” There was a thud, probably from his head hitting the door.

She let go of his hip and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his. He trembled from head to toe… and then his other hand tightened in her hair as he was falling apart in her arms, her name on his lips.


	16. Severance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh... or the Billionnaire's Wake Up Call Girl, which you will recognize in this chapter. 
> 
> Which is pretty much shameless smut.
> 
> You know... since we have a rating to live up to and all. 
> 
> Ahem.

For a while, he just leaned on the door, afraid to speak or move. He was still holding onto her for dear life, afraid to let go, afraid of drowning. The only time she’d broken contact was to pull his trousers back up and throw the condom in a nearby bin. Now her cheek was resting against his thigh, her body perfectly at ease, as if kneeling at his feet was everything she wanted. 

“Well…” he managed, once blood finally started flowing into his brain again, “I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t do that when we were still working together. I would have had to put something on your performance review. _ Very smart, terrible impulse control. _”

Sharona chuckled. “Top marks on holding back the gag reflex, though.”

He let go of her hair, sliding her fingers under her chin. She didn’t look angry or shrewd or sardonic. No. Her expression was part playful, part curious. 

Seto slid down the door, trying to pull her close. She put her free hand over his mouth. “Let me rinse at least,” she said, still sounding amused.

He licked her palm in response. When she pulled it off, he took the opening, kissing her with all the sincerity and passion he couldn’t verbalize. “There,” he said, when they finally broke apart. “You’re sorted.”

Sharona snorted incredulously, but relaxed into his arms anyway. He took the opportunity to do what he’d wanted since day one - removing the elastic from her hair and letting the mass of curls flow freely. He watched as it spilled over his arm and all down her back, heavy and long. 

“How did you keep this from coming undone?” he wondered out loud, running his fingers through before massaging the skin of her scalp. “You must have had tension headaches every day.”

“Does miracles for concentration.”

Seto took her hand in his and gave it a kiss. It was so small, compared to his own. All of her was small. It was like his intellect had disappeared into the aether, leaving him incredulous at the tiniest little details.

Then she leaned more fully against him, and he became more aware of the weight of her body, the play of muscles under the fabric of her shirt, the power hidden behind that exterior. This wasn’t a woman who could be easily broken; she did as she wanted, even if it was against her express interest. Tie him up and torture him, indeed - he was almost tempted to piss her off to see if she’d follow up on the threat.

Sharona sighed and rubbed her cheek against his chest. Or maybe, he decided as he noticed her shifting uncomfortably, he could try to even out the playing field again.

“Hungry yet?” he asked.

“Nah.” She stretched her legs and shuffled away, getting ready to rise. “Feel free to eat without me, though.”

“I’ve got a better idea.”

Before she could ask what that was, he stood, scooping her up by the waist until she was pressed against him from ankle to neck. There was a tiny bit of alarm in her expression, but she relaxed as he steered her toward the bed. 

“I really should go home,” she said while he ran his hands down her back, her waist, her hips. 

He paused. “Is this what you want?” 

She slid her own palms under his shirt. “No.”

Excellent.

Shoving her lightly, he was gratified to see desire in those green eyes as she fell back into the bed, hair fanning around her like silk. Seto was tempted to just tear into her, then decided to tease her instead; undoing the buttons of his shirt one by one, he watched her as she drank the sight of him, biting her lip and rubbing her legs together. 

“See something you like?” he teased.

“You know the answer to that,” she said, cocking her head to the side. “Nice move with that strip-tease, there. I almost didn’t notice you toe your socks off.” 

Damn it. “You are way too self-satisfied for this.”

Sharona laughed - a big, full laugh that did wonders to her face and body. Then she hooked her legs behind his, used the leverage to sit up, and lifted her hands above her head. “Go on then. Since you need to be in control so badly.”

Instead of ripping the shirt over her head, though, he cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her lower lip. Then, mimicking what she’d done, he let his fingers trail down the middle of her chest, her sternum, her stomach. He felt her belly flutter in anticipation bit as he untucked the garment and then slowly lifted it up.

Seto held his breath as his eyes made out the pale scars cross-crossing her upper body - long slashes around her ribs, puckered stars that dotted her stomach and chest, and that big zig-zag on her arm, dancing from elbow to collar like some kind of tattoo gone wrong. He only had moments while she was shaking her hair free to take in everything, and when he met her eyes again, he could tell she’d been hoping he wouldn’t notice.

***

His hesitation made her want to scream.

Sharona could handle hatred. She could handle rejection. Those were emotions she could hold up a middle finger to.

Pity, on the other hand, sucked.

“Come on now,” she said, unclipping her bra and pulling it off in an attempt to bring him back to lust again. “Don’t tell me a little bad skin scares you.”

He touched her chin again, forcing her to look up, like he had earlier. “What would you do,” he said, “if you weren’t constantly fighting? If you could just exist in the world without fear?”

“That’s easy,” she quipped. “I’d get a decent night’s sleep for once.”

_ Don’t push. Don’t push me, or I’ll gather my clothes and leave, _ she thought. 

Kaiba slid his hand from her chin and pushed her hair behind her ear. Then he got a hold of her trousers and yanked them, along with her underwear down her legs. She swallowed, backing up on the bed. He grabbed hold of her ankle, then slid up the length of her body, trailing his hands over her. “Do you feel like sleeping now?” 

“Not yet.” She didn’t recognize her own voice. His hand on her inner thigh felt sinful. “But I might do if this ke—”

He ducked his head and kissed her, pushing her thighs open and rolling over her. The friction was delicious. Then he slipped his hand between her legs and now it was her turn to grasp and hold onto him for dear life. This was everything she was afraid of - the second he touched her, really touched her, she was coming apart, physically and emotionally. 

Worse, he clearly knew what he was doing. Just as she felt like she might tip over the edge, he slowed down; when she thought of running away, he stoked her again, making her whimper. Her nails were digging into his arms, his shoulders, his back, and yet he kept on going, playing her as if they’d known each other all their lives.

God, why couldn’t he be like one of those assholes who just raced to the finish line?

“Kaiba—” she threatened, as he seemed to let off again. Then his fingers were pressing against her mouth again, shushing her. She opened her lips instead, sucking on his fingers, tasting herself as well as him. The move caught him off guard and she took the opportunity, holding his wrist while she licked his index the same way she'd licked his cock earlier. 

"Goddamn," he grated. "You're going to be the death of me." 

"Stop teasing then." Her vision swam as his fingers entered her again. She was so wet she could hear it. And still, he would not give her what she wanted. 

“What’s my name, Trouble?” he asked.

“Your name—” The rest of the sentence disappeared into a hoarse cry as he curled his fingers inside of her, finding a perfect spot of pain and pleasure. She buried her face in his neck, too shaken to continue.

“You know it,” he went on. “You’ve said it before. You don’t like it when I hide from you, Sharona. I won’t tolerate you hiding from me.”

“Seto…” she hissed, digging her nails deeper into his back. “Seto--”

His lips were on her hair, caressing it tenderly. He turned his hand, grinding his palm against her while his fingers stroked her mercilessly. “And don’t you forget it.”

She thought about biting him out of sheer spite. Then came her release, crashing her over the edge and leaving her voiceless, into his arms.

***

“I think I just broke my back.”

Seto raised an eyebrow, before resuming his lazy exploration of her body. She was lying on her front, hair draped over the side of the bed, and he was pretty sure he could spend the rest of the night studying the play of muscles underneath her skin. Still… if they had to call an ambulance, he supposed he’d have to put his pants back on.

“Can you heal from that?” he asked, carefully running his hand over the curve of her spine. 

Sharona let out a sigh. “Later, maybe. I used up the last of my reserves today.”

He replaced his hand with his mouth, licking a path from the small of her back to under her ear. She shivered but didn’t tell him off. Her breathing was deep and measured. 

“One question,” he said, “and if you answer me fully and honestly, I’ll never bother you again about this.”

“That’s a tall order,” she murmured into the sheets.

“I wouldn’t be asking you if it weren’t important,” he said. 

Sharona gave him a weary look, then rolled to her side and faced him fully.

“About your debt…” he said, considering the best way to put the question “…how did you get in debt with other ghost-seers?”

“Ah—” She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “You seem convinced of that fact.”

“Your car was destroyed without a single security guard noticing. The cameras on the lot were all pointing in the wrong direction when it happened, and when I came to see what was happening, the thing that was menacing you disappeared faster than I could blink. You won’t accept any help with your debt and if we accept that ghosts are real—” she chuckled and shook her head “—then it stands to reason that the two are connected.”

“Fair,” she admitted. 

Pause. “Will you tell me then?”

Sharona looked like she might say no. Then she said, “I will. But it’s a wrong story, and I don’t come out of it like the good guy.”

He waited. 

“I suppose it won’t be a surprise that there is a competition for people like me,” she said. “Every 500 years or so, in fact, a tournament is held to determine the strongest of us all. The winner… well…” She paused. “In all honesty, nobody learned what the winner gets because the last tournament got put on hold after some events. We wouldn’t have made it very far, anyway.”

“No?”

“Not much scope in the tournament for what we can do.” Sharona shrugged. “But that’s neither here nor there. The point is that between rounds one and two of fighting, you are told to go into Death Valley and find the place where the tournament will take place. You get no directions and you have one month to arrive before automatic disqualification. With me so far?”

“It makes perfect sense. In fact, it reminds me of something I might do.”

“Right, wonderful. Well. An unwritten rule of that trial is that competitors will fight each other between the end of the first round and the start of the second. If the judges catch you at it, it’s treated as a regular match. If they don’t, it’s anything goes.”

“And?”

“And I made the mistake of underestimating my opponents.” She shrugged. “The car sabotage… I was mad at, but it wasn’t like it wasn’t fair payback for what I did. I wasn’t playing fair. I tried to kill my opponents in a moment of weakness, and then I couldn’t even face them in a one-to-one fight. Worse still, later in the tournament, these guys saved me and the girls from going up against a guy known to kill every opponent he faced. 

“So the debt… the debt is well-earned. And if I have to work the rest of my life for it, I will.” Suddenly, eye contact seemed too much for her and she looked down, where her hand had fisted into the sheet. “Thing is, I learned just recently that this isn’t the only reason this particular guy is going after me and my friends, and I’m less willing to get over that one.”

“Which is?”

Her mouth twisted wryly. “Not my story to tell.” She turned and put on her fake-cheery expression. He was beginning to loathe that. “And I answered your question. So you’re not getting more ammo from me.”

Seto snorted - partly at her tomfoolery, but mostly at her assumption that he was digging for stuff to use against her.

It was true that he saw her as a threat. He’d be a fool not to. But he also recognized the ambition there, the desire to turn the tide even when she was swimming against it.

“These fights—” he said “—I’m guessing dying was also an option, if the judges didn’t intervene.”

“That sounded like another question.”

Seto pushed her on her back and pressed her hips to the bed - not caging her, per se, just holding her in place. Then he leaned in and ran the pads of his fingers over the scar tissue. He hadn’t noticed any sign of injury on her before. He supposed most of them were hidden away, but he also hadn’t been looking too closely. He looked at a particularly nasty bit that ran from her rip to where her kidney would have been.

“A little more push, and that would have pierced your intestine,” he remarked. Then he looked further up her ribs. “This one must have grazed you, but if they had a bit more thrust, they could have destroyed a lung, made you drown in your own blood.” His palm moved over her belly. There were several large scars there, the ugly raised tissue making him angry. “And here… here it looks like someone tried to gut you.”

“None of my fights were easy,” she replied, sounding strained. “I’m not strong.”

“You survived them, though.” He replaced his hand with his mouth. She tensed, but he only kissed the skin of her ribs and stomach. “Death was an option. You could have been killed at any point, and yet you somehow have to pay for playing by exactly the same rules as them.”

Sharona let out a long, tired sigh. Then her own hand slipped between their bodies and found his groin. Seto considered fighting her on this - refusing to let her distract him - but when she flipped him on his back and pinned him into place, he saw the finality of it all in her expression. She didn’t want his forgiveness, pity, or justifications. She didn’t want tenderness. To her, he was the bastard who had just fired her because he couldn't handle having her around; the only reason she'd made a move on him was because she'd rather get some sex out of it at least - as much of it and as hard as possible. 

He passed her a condom then sat up, pulling her into his lap roughly. The wide, triumphant grin she gave him was all the confirmation he needed - she was too much like him for her own good. 

Fine. She’d get the sex. Anything she wanted from him tonight, she’d get.

But that didn’t mean he'd be done with her in the morning. 

***

She shot off a text to Ellie to let her know she was staying the night, while Seto called Mokuba from the corridor. There wasn’t anything in their conversation that she didn’t need to hear - just a sweet reminder to go to bed early and prepare his geometry textbooks in advance. 

It made her heart hurt to hear it. To know just how much tenderness and care there was in that man and that none of it would ever be for her.

_ That you’d allow, anyway. _

Her phone buzzed with a text. Ellie wanted to know if she was out of a job.

Sharona sighed and rang her back. “Hey,” she whispered, keeping an eye on the corridor. “I’ll talk to you girls about it tomorrow night, okay?”

“Look, we don’t care,” Ellie said. “We can get by, just, like… that’s super unfair if he fired you over this.”

“It’s fine. I’ll get compensated,” she said, as Seto came back into the room. He’d hung up and now was standing at the door, watching her without one ounce of shame. At least that was gratifying, to know he appreciated her form as much as she appreciated his.

“Is it any good?” Ellie asked.

“For three months of work?” Sharona winked at him and then rolled to her front, turning her back on the too tempting sight. “I’d say it is it.”

Footsteps. The bed dipping under his weight. A big hand pushing her hair out of the way. 

“Still sucks though. You love that job.”

“I’ll love other jobs, too,” she said. Behind her, Seto paused. She forced some laughter into her voice, “And I’d say the severance package is… sufficient.”

He huffed a laugh, then pressed his mouth to her neck again.

“Is he there?” Ellie asked.

“Yes. We’re still negotiating the terms of my leaving.” Sharona bit her lip when he reached over and started rifling through his bedside drawer. His other hand had moved over to her front, pushing her hips back. How long could she keep this up before he lost his patience?

Ellie was quiet for a suspiciously long time. Then, loud enough for Sharona to wince, she said, “If you still remember your name in the morning, then it wasn’t worth it.”

Then she hung up before her friend could even gasp in indignation. 

Seto took the phone away, dropping it on the floor before covering her hand in his. “Challenge accepted."


	17. Bad News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> This is a fan work for my amusement only... well, and the two people who seem to read this fic, bless your hearts. (I keep wondering if I was the only one whose childhood included these two anime being played back to back and made the leap.) 
> 
> Anyway. Time to find the plot to this sucker again -.-

He woke up to the sound of running water. 

Seto grabbed his phone, the flash of panic nearly waking him up completely. But no. It wasn’t even six thirty yet.

Sighing, he fell back into bed, glancing at the wall between him and the bathroom. Would she mind terribly if he joined her? Or maybe he ought to start getting his mind back into work mode....

_ On the _ other _ hand, maybe not. _ He smirked a little as he took in the damage. There were new grooves on the wall next to the headboard. Scrapes on the floor from furniture being carelessly shoved around. There were even tears in his sheets, and the thread count on those went into the thousands. He looked down at himself, noticing with satisfaction the number of hickeys and nail marks dotting his body - luckily for him, he never wore short sleeves. 

And he’d given as good as he’d got.

The water shut off and he listened, head in his hand, as she moved around the bathroom. No singing or whistling. No swearing, either. Was she happy? Sated? Or annoyed he’d popped a button on her trousers when he’d taken them off earlier?

Usually, he dreaded this part of the morning after, the whole…. dance of _ will-i-see-you-again-are-you-sure-no-really-are-you? _ He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so relaxed about anybody being there with him, let alone somebody he would see again at work. 

The bathroom door opened, and Sharona patted into the room, fully dressed, combed and made up, as if she were going to work. He raised an eyebrow, noticing that she’d even managed to locate and sew her ruined clothes into a semblance of propriety. 

How long had she been up for? They’d drifted off not two hours ago.

“Good morning?” she said, when the silence grew too long.

“What’s with that getup?” he asked, giving her a lazy smile. “If you want me to rip the clothes off you again, you need to wait until we have coffee.”

“There’s nicer ways to ask for someone to wait on you, Mr Kaiba.”

"Come to bed,” he said, “and I’ll show you nice.”

“Oh, no, you don’t.” She disappeared in the kitchenette, then appeared a minute later with a steaming mug. “I’ve got work this morning. And so do you, by the by.”

Seto sat up, annoyance distracting him enough to just accept the coffee without trying to hold her to him.

“I can take a sick day,” he said. “And unless you’ve been breaking the laws of labor and physics, you don’t have a job.”

She put a hand on her hip and cocked her chin up. That proud stance, that proud look, everything he liked about her in one moment.

“You haven’t served me my walking papers officially,” she said. “And until you do, I’m not going to break my perfect record with tardiness. Anyway—” she added “—jokes aside, Kalvin and Gretchen deserve a proper goodbye from me. I need to thank them both for putting up with my shit for so long.”

Seto put the mug on his bedside table, then beckoned her over. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, before allowing him to draw her closer and sit her on his knees. 

“Seriously,” she said. “If you ruin this shirt…”

“You’re right,” he said. He cupped her chin, then trailed his fingers across her temple and over her tightly wound hair. “You should say goodbye to people.”

“Why, I do believe the gentleman cares.” Her hands skimmed over his shoulders and biceps, and an apologetic smile appeared as she noted the bruises she’d left. “Want me to heal those for you?”

“You can do that?”

She shrugged and splayed her palm over his chest. Warmth spread through him, and he saw the closest bruises start to shrink. Then she stopped. 

“It’s all energy exchange,” she explained, tracing the edge of a bite mark with her index finger. “The trick is to know when to stop.”

He took her hand in his and kissed the palm. “I guess I see how physics was a natural choice for you,” he said. 

She pulled her hand and started to stand. Seto held her in place. “No need to heal me,” he said, forcing a no-nonsense tone. “But do me a favor and take your prototype with you today.”

Sharona frowned. “But—”

“It’ll take me some time to draw up the relevant paperwork,” he said. “I want you to have peace of mind while I do that.”

He waited to see if she was going to make a big deal of it. But instead, she just nodded. “Okay. I’ll do that.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll assume you’ll call me into your office by noon?”

“Better get it over with quickly ” he said. 

Another nod. Her expression was carefully blank, not giving him anything to work with. He was suddenly nervous. Trying to seduce her again - or even making plans to see each other - felt tacky under the circumstances. It was necessary - he could not carry on with an employee, no matter how willing she was - but it did not feel good. He didn't want her to leave- the second she walked out the door, the rest of the world would come crashing in, sweeping them away from each other.

“Have you got any preference for where you want to work next?” he asked, squeezing her thigh. 

“Not really,” she said. “If I’m honest, I was planning on going home tonight and just eating a pint of ice cream to feel better about myself.”

“I was serious about the reference,” he said. “Name a company, and I’ll know someone on the board.”

She patted his hand and got up. “I appreciate the offer, I really do. But I’d rather you have Kalvin write my performance review, and let me handle the rest.”

Seto frowned, as she started to gather her things. “I know this is hard,” he said. “I want to make your transition easier. Come on,” he walked over, making her look at him, “let me take care of you.”

Sharona raised an eyebrow. “Take care of me? Like I’m a pet, or like I’m a dead body?”

“Neither. Like you’re one of my people.”

“If I was one of your people, we wouldn’t have slept together,” she said, throwing her backpack over her shoulders. “Don’t get me wrong, Kaiba, I enjoyed every second of this.” He couldn’t help noticing the past tense. “And I don’t blame you for wanting me away from your people - I’m not safe. But don’t try to make this pretty.”

“I’m not making this pretty. I’m trying to be fair.”

“Then be fair.” She straightened up to her full height and looked at him in the eye. "We are not children. We worked together, we wanted each other, we fucked. I'm not going to sleep my way into my next job anymore than you would continue a relationship with a subordinate.”

Damn it. Why were her arguments always just this bit better than his?

“Can I at least buy you a proper dinner once all the paperwork is settled?” he groused.

“Would it make you feel better about yourself?”

“No.” He pulled her in for a rough, demanding kiss. “I’m doing this because I want to. Do you understand me? Not for you, not out of some moral consideration. I’m doing this because it is my wish and you will accept it.”

Sharona raised an eyebrow. “Then,” she said, giving his lower lip one last bite, “with your permission, Mr Kaiba, I’m going to work.”

***

Kalvin actually looked stricken.

“I knew this wouldn’t end well,” he grumbled as she quickly typed up emails and wrapped up loose ends, doing her best to handover before she was handed her pink slip. 

“Don’t be sad,” she said. “Rejoice in the fact that you don’t have to do any handholding anymore.”

“You never needed my handholding.”

“I didn’t know half the stuff I know about logistics now, and it’s all thanks to you.” She paused enough to give him a smile. “I’m sorry it’s so sudden.”

“You sure he can’t just fob you off to one of our suppliers?” Kalvin asked. “I know a few guys. They’d be lucky to have you.”

“Put it on my reference and maybe they will.” Sharona turned back to the computer. “And don’t be too hard on Mr Kaiba, either. He’s doing what’s best for his company.”

“Twelve years I’ve known the brat. Never have I seen him fire someone over being clumsy.”

“Careless, Kalvin. I was careless. And it makes perfect sense when you think about it - you can’t trust me around power tools.” 

“You can teach health and safety. You can’t teach work ethic.”

Yeah. She knew. She did work hard. She did love her job. And she was a good person to have around, if only to bounce ideas off of. She was sure that Kaiba Corp would have still come up with their solution without her help. But that didn’t diminish the sadness of being let go. And no matter how pleasant the compensation had been, in the cold light of day, she couldn’t help but feel… well… a little bit sad.

_ He wanted to do more, though. You wouldn’t let him. _

She told herself that having mixed feelings about a hookup was normal. There was always, between the buildup and the release, a lot of old hurt and personal hang-ups that reared their ugly heads. She couldn’t just enjoy an orgasm and a decent cuddle before hopping out of bed - she had to thrash out every fear of worthlessness and abandonment she’d had in her life because that was just the sort of person she was. She could have fucked any guy and she’d be feeling this way.

_ Any guy? Really? _

The scary thing was that Seto Kaiba didn’t bother with artifice. You knew when he was angry, when he was pleased, when he was horny… He really was who he presented to the world, and it was a state of mind she admired and coveted in equal measures.

It was also why his tenderness freaked her out. He could pin her down with all his weight, and she didn’t feel half as frightened as when he just lay there as they recovered, holding her hand. 

Kalvin was talking. She needed to focus.

“—see it at least?”

“See what?” she blinked.

“The thing you were working on. I know that it was a big deal for you. Can I see it?”

Sharona got up, smiling. “Of course. Let’s go to the safe.”

But the prototype was not in the safe. 

She turned to the security guard - Jamie, as it turned out, who remembered her from the car incident - and asked him if she could see the sign-out log.

There hadn’t been a lot of people in and out of the safe, so it was a fairly short list. And right in the middle of it was Jason de Vigny’s name, against a list of engineering items having been removed.

“Crap,” Sharona muttered as she read. “This is bad.”

“He could have taken it by accident,” Kalvin said, as he dialed the internal line to the third floor. “Let’s just have a quick chat before we go there.”

Aaron - her fellow intern from the start - picked up. He informed them that Jason wasn’t there - hadn’t been all morning.

A strange sense of light-headedness came over her. The kind that would turn into a full panic if she didn’t check it. While Kalvin was talking, she summoned Enra and told her to go. “Find him and tell me where he is,” she whispered, before anybody realized she was talking to the air. “Tell the others, too.”

Then she followed her supervisor back to the tenth floor, feeling sick and uneasy. 

“I’m sure this will get sorted,” she told Kalvin. 

The older man grumbled as he pulled up a chair for her, then went to make two large mugs of tea. “Wasn’t my business…” he kept muttering. “Never was. I figured if I minded my own business things would sort out eventually.”

“What’s that?” she asked, accepting the drink. 

“Jason. He’s… well…” Kalvin shrugged. 

“Difficult to work with?”

“That’s a nice way to put it.” The older man rubbed his hand over his face. “Never liked the guy, but that’s no reason to not work with him. He never had a team working for him for a long time, but I just assumed it was because they got better jobs elsewhere.”

Sharona chose not to answer that.

In truth, her view of Kaiba Corp was that it was a great place to work. Her experience with Jason had reminded her of the age old adage: People join a company and quit their manager.

“Has he ever… you know… pitched someone else’s ideas for his own?”

“Hell if I know, lovely.” Kalvin shook his head. “Not my area of the company. Certainly not anything I made my business to know. But I’m sure Mr Kaiba would tell it if Jason presented something you made as his own work.”

Sharona nodded. Seto had gone out of his way for their interactions to happen in front of witnesses. She’d wondered if maybe this was because he wanted plausible deniability in case of a lawsuit, or someone accusing him of favourism. She hadn’t realized until this moment how his actions had protected her as well. 

People had seen her working on a project for the CEO. The man himself had supervised her. He’d made her date, screenshot, and sign every last document she produced. To deny her ownership of her work would be to accuse Seto Kaiba of lying, because he’d authorized everything. Jason would be an idiot to do this.

And Jason was no idiot.

“Kalvin,” she asked, “there’s a lot riding on this KL3 project, isn’t there?” 

The older man winced. “It’s a pain in the ass,” he muttered. “Logistics-wise, I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole.”

“You never said.” 

“Well… it isn’t good for morale, is it? Some old fart, telling the CEO what he should do.” The comment was so out of character, she nearly laughed. Then she wondered who it was that had said it to him in the first place. She could easily imagine Seto in one of his surlier moods, getting a little too judgy when he ought to have been listening. “I could kinda see the point. We haven’t had a big win in a while. Engineering want to show off. It’s just that the project itself has too many moving parts. Maybe if it got scaled down but that idea got thrown out of the room.”

“By whom?”

Kalvin muttered something under his nose about her not worrying her pretty little head about it.

Somehow, Sharona didn’t feel surprised at all that Kalvin was keeping his opinions to himself. 

She glanced at the wall, waiting for Enra Enra to return. But her spiritual guardian wasn’t there. She was so far in fact that Sharona couldn’t call her. 

The clock ticked on. Any time now, she’d be called into Seto’s office to get properly fired. Part of her wanted to just drop the issue and let them handle it. She wouldn’t be part of Kaiba Corp soon. She had no dog in this fight, not really.

But a larger part of her was angry. 

This had been _ her _ place too, for a while. The people were _ her _ colleagues. And it was _ her _ goddamn work that Jason had stolen, even if the prototype wasn’t working yet. 

She turned to Kalvin.

“If I asked you to give me access to the main company files, would you?” 

The old man gave her a grumpy look. “Out of the question, young miss.” Then he pulled out his chair and sat on the port. “I will, however, look up what you want me to.”

***

An hour ticked by. Then another. When the call came from above, informing them that Ms Ward’s presence was requested on the eleventh floor, Kalvin barked into the receiver that Ms Ward would stay where she goddamn was until he was done with her.

She chuckled when she heard that, but exhaustion was starting to set in and she was growing weary. 

Companies generated data like a pet shedding in spring. Sent emails. Phone calls. Supply orders. You could keep track of everybody and everything, but it was a surefire way to kill your motivation. Audits on a single person, however, were far easier to do. Especially if the guy you worked with was in charge of the orders and getting them to places. 

Jason’s orders list contained a shocking amount of things, for a man who spent no time in his department and went on so many meetings. It took one cross-reference between orders and existing stock to pique Kalvin’s interest, and from then, all Sharona had to do was throw the odd suggestion and supply an estimation for how many materials would go in the creation of this or that.

“Unbelievable,” Kalvin was muttering by the end of the first hour. “At this rate, he could have invented ten prototypes like yours to stress-test. Why is his lot so slow?”

Because their work wasn’t being taken to Kaiba Corp. 

Sharona knew it, and Kalvin knew it, but neither of them wanted to speak the words out loud. They would have to present this to someone, and that meant they had to gather as much evidence as possible in a short span of time. The second Jason heard that the Head of Logistics was making inquiries about his purchase orders, he would bolt.

“You think maybe it’s time?” she asked, once the second call from Seto’s PA came through. Mr Kaiba was getting impatient. 

Kalvin sighed and started printing copies of the spreadsheets they’d compiled. “I don’t like this,” he said, then his expression softened. “And it’s not getting any easier for you, is there?”

“Want me to take them up?” she asked, skirting the question. No pity. None. “I mean, I’m getting fired anyway.”

“Let me do it. It’s my job to take the bad news to the boss, anyway.” He stood up and patted her shoulder. “Go get a drink. Or a walk. You deserve a break before this.”

Sharona was about to say no, when she sensed Enra Enra. Somewhere outside the building, calling out to her. She swallowed at the obvious distress that her guardian was feeling, and stood up on shaky legs. “Alright. I’ll go for a smoke.” She paused. “Thanks, Kalvin. For everything.”

She considered leaving a note, then reconsidered. She was just going to go outside and see what her spirit was worried about. If it was too dangerous, she could handle herself. Right? Right.

She waved at the security guard before heading out and toward the smoker’s shelter. She frowned, her eyes sweeping around the lot, trying to figure out where the ghost was hiding. 

She didn’t notice the jiangshi until they were on her. She only had a moment to realize what they must have done, before their hands clamped on her mouth and hands and dragged her away.


	18. Incident Report

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Yu Gi Oh and Shaman King.
> 
> I did find the plot again tho.... -.-

“So you’re telling me this person is smart, hard-working, and ethical… and you want me to give them an interview? What’s the catch, Kaiba-boy?”

Seto gritted his teeth. Maximilian Pegasus wasn’t the easiest person to talk to, especially this early in the morning. But he was a man on a mission and he’d be damned if he would allow some negging to get the better of him.

“I’m not sending a spy to you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said, staring out of his window. “I wouldn’t be that unsubtle.”

“Hm, suppose not. But you have been known to lack subtlety.” There was a tapping noise in the background and he let out a low whistle. At least he’d opened the resume Seto had forwarded. “Well. I can see the appeal for sure, Kaiba-boy.”

“Are you reading what she’s done, or are you just looking at her picture?” 

“I have a split screen, I can do both.” The older man hummed. “Very interesting. Terrible school record though. You sure she didn’t doctor her marks?”

“Pegasus, this intern has more talent in one of her toes than you do in your entire technical department. The only thing you should be asking me is how soon you can see her.”

A chuckle came through the phone. “I never thought I’d see the day. Seto Kaiba, smitten! I have to meet her just to see that.”

He frowned, glancing at the door. Which was ridiculous - he hadn’t called for Sharona yet.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t ridiculous at all, seeing as the woman in question commanded spirits that he couldn’t necessarily see. For all he knew, she’d overheard the entire conversation and was plotting her revenge.

Yet again, the ridiculous thing was hiding what he was doing from her. After all, he wasn’t trying to grease the wheels for her to get a new job, he was merely making sure she was given an interview. 

“You’d meet her anyway,” he said. “You owe me for Duelist Kingdom and the nightmare I went through with the Big Five. Giving my intern a shot is the least you could do.”

“She won’t be your intern soon. And if she is as good as you say, you’d be a fool for having let her go.” 

_ It’s just a job. Just a job. _ Seto reminded himself. 

So why did he have the urge to reach over the phone and strangle Pegasus? 

He couldn’t keep her. That was the main thing that was running through his mind. Even if she wasn’t hip-deep in trouble, he could not keep her.

She was too proud. Every time Seto thought he’d have to push her away, he found that she was already running for the door. He couldn’t have that - so he gave chase. He didn’t like how she got under his skin. Didn’t want her to be better at his own game. Didn’t want her overwhelming him. 

Or maybe he was just fooling himself.

“Just give her an interview. Or even an assessment,” he said to Pegasus. “If she can’t handle it, that’s on her.”

“I’ll tell my HR to keep an eye out. If she applies, that is.”

That, he could deal with. He clicked off and then checked with his PA. Sharona hadn’t arrived yet. Kalvin was keeping her behind.

Seto was about to descend to the tenth and see what was going on, when his Head of Logistics came into his office, with a large sheath of papers and a thunderous expression. 

“Twelve years,” he said. 

Seto raised an eyebrow.

“Twelve years,” Kalvin repeated, “and not once have I seen you lose your edge. What the hell happened to you?”

The eyebrow stayed raised.

Kalvin had been one of the few workers that worked for Gozaburo as well as for Seto. He’d been the one who watched the adopted Kaiba take over the company and he’d left at first, then come back when a job opened in the newly revamped company. He had a lot of experience and wisdom, but he also never talked down on him, making him one of the few people in the company whose opinion mattered to Seto.

“In twelve years,” he said, “I have never seen you lose your temper. Care to explain to me what is the matter?”

“The matter, sir, is that you’re being a fool.” He lay down the papers on his desk and spread them out. “I kept my mouth shut when we went ahead with that KL3 project because I trusted you to know what you’re doing. I put up with Jason’s nonsense because he was the head engineer. I assumed that everybody else would also notice if something was wrong. And now this.”

Kalvin was looking at him as if Seto was personally responsible for whatever ‘this’ was. The younger man pulled the spreadsheets towards him and studied the columns, eyes drawn automatically toward the highlighted figures. 

“What am I looking at?” he asked.

“Orders made by the Engineering lot, versus what they actually use or have in stock. And calculations about what they made. If I judged them on their supply needs, I would have thought they were in the stress-testing stage of new prototypes, not still trying to figure it out,” Kalvin said.

Seto looked to the side of the paper. There were a bunch of calculations scribbled on the side with pencil. A familiar mistake in reasoning seemed to jump out and wink at him. Something someone would do when they weren’t using a calculator and were in a hurry.

He picked up a pen and corrected the calculations. The discrepancy was too big, still.

“Is this why you kept Ms Ward with you?” he asked.

“She was the one who asked me to look into it. Though once I gave it two seconds of thought, I wasn’t going to stop until I got to the bottom of it.”

“Why is she not with you?”

Seto couldn’t help wondering if maybe she’d realized this sooner. If this was her way of saying one last fuck you to him before she got fired. It seemed uncharacteristically mean for her, but then again, maybe he’d underestimated how angry she was.

“Told her to go and get herself together before you fired her,” Kalvin said. “I asked her to show me the prototype she’d been building for you and it wasn’t in the safe. Turns out Jason picked it up earlier today. She got upset and asked me if he was known to do other shady things. We spent the morning just looking at the logs from our system.”

Meaning that this - Seto thumbed through the sheets upon sheets of evidence - was all just Logistics. What would HR turn up? Or Accounting?

What would he have turned up, if he bothered to look?

He remembered the uneasy feeling when he’d first arranged for her to be transferred out of Engineering. He’d never wanted Kaiba Corp to be a place where complacency was rewarded. He made a point not to surround himself with syncopates. He’d assumed that he was doing what was best for Sharona with the tools he’d been given. He hadn’t stopped for long enough to ask himself if this was the first time Jason had presented someone else’s work as his own. 

What if Sharona hadn’t caught his eye? What if she was just another one of his employees? What then?

“You never told me you had reservations for this project,” he said to Kalvin.

“This again—” the old man sighed. “Told Ms Ward the same thing. I don’t want to stick my nose where it isn’t my business.”

“You’re head of department, Kalvin. Sticking your nose where it isn’t your business is what I pay you for.” Seto tapped the papers. “This is good work. I appreciate it. But don’t wait ever again to bring something like this to me.”

He acquiesced, looking mildly embarrassed. Seto glanced toward the door. “Did Sharona say when she would come back?”

It was Kalvin’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Sharona, huh?” he said. “Didn’t think you even knew her name, sir?”

Seto shrugged. 

“You’re not firing her because she was careless with equipment, are you?”

Another shrug. In honesty, he probably didn’t need reasons to fire her if she was still on her trial period, but that was neither here nor there. He gave Kalvin a level look, though. He could be honest with him, at least. “It’s not possible for her to stay in the company,” he said.

“Oh, I can tell,” Kalvin said. “It’s still pretty shitty, though. People will see it as you getting rid of a good worker but keeping on trash like Jason. They’ll wonder.”

They’d wonder even more if she stayed. 

Speaking of…

“You’ve been here for a while,” Seto said, reaching for the phone. “And you said she just went for a smoke.”

The guard at the front desk remembered Sharona. Her card had been swiped more than ten minutes ago. 

“Go to the smoke shelter,” Seto ordered, feeling a sudden rush of fear in his stomach as he stared at the overcast sky outside. “Tell her to get indoors now.”

The line went to hold. He made a mental note to change the music to something less horrible. Then…

“Mr Kaiba… she isn’t there.”

“Are you sure she hasn’t swiped back in?”

“No. Sir, she would have had to go—”

Seto hung up. Then he ordered Kalvin to go back to the tenth floor and keep an eye out for his intern, knowing full well that she wouldn’t appear. Before the door was closed, he was bringing up all the live security feeds on his laptop, isolating all the floors Sharona had been on and trying to find her. He saw her going to the vault with Kalvin; the upset she was clearly trying to hide at the discovery there; the grim-eyed determination as she got the old man to finally dig up evidence against Jason.

Then…

A stiffened back. Her agreeing weekly to Kalvin’s idea. Wandering outside, looking like a woman heading to an execution.

The outside camera is down. Of course it is.

He grits his teeth and stares into his screen, as if he could force it to show him what he wants through sheer willpower. Instead, his concentration was interrupted when two men burst into his office.

Through his wall.

His shout of alarm was enough to get his PA rushing into the office. When he doesn’t notice the two men - two ghosts, Seto realized - it takes a good minute to convince him to leave, insisting that he just slammed a drawer on his hand. 

The ghosts seem shocked that he can see and hear them.

Which makes three of them. 

But they were shouting about zombies and the undead, which meant that whatever was happening to him was secondary.

“Who are you?” Seto asked, in his most no-nonsense-I’m-the-boss voice.

“S…sir… We’re interns, sir.”

“Meant to be, anyway.”

“We had an accident on our first day.”

That made… some sense. His more cynical side wondered what loser died and went to work anyway, and then realized he probably would do just that, if any version of an afterlife was offered to him. More to the point, he could see them, which meant that Sharona couldn’t be too far.

“There’s another intern,” Seto said. “Green eyes, yellow hair. She can see you, too.”

“Shar, yes.”

“We were looking for help for her.”

“We saw those guys grab her.”

Seto gritted his teeth and forced himself to sit still. The fewer questions he asked, the faster he got his answers. Four creatures had taken Sharona from the parking lot and thrown her into a van before driving off. The interns had followed them to a nearby building. Whomever Sharona had pissed off was not just bold - he was absolutely suicidal. To kidnap a woman from _ his _ parking lot was bold enough, but they were also about to hold her under his nose? 

No. Unacceptable.

“Stay,” Seto growled, then grabbed his phone again. Lilly Ward was listed as Sharona’s emergency contact, and he hoped to Hell that she wasn’t also sharing a phone with someone else. There was one ring. Two. Three. 

Then a grumpy, sleepy voice, answered.

“What?”

“This is Seto Kaiba. Whomever is after you lot took your friend.”

A sharp intake of breath, instant awakening. “Say what?” 

“They took her from the parking lot.” Seto glared at his former interns. “And there’s two ghosts in here who are telling me she’s held in an abandoned building nearby. Whatever plans you girls have in these situations, you better start them now.”

“Oh, we have plans,” Lilly’s voice sounded dark. “Thanks for letting us know. We’ll handle it from here.”

Yeah. Sure they would.

“Go hide,” he ordered. “I’m getting her out myself.”

“Wait just a minute, what kind of game are you playing? What ghosts are you talking to? Kaiba—”

But he hung up. And without further comment he walked outside of his office, following the ghosts as they led the way.

That… he decided in retrospect… was a mistake.


	19. Negotiation Tactics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> Also hey, more plot. It's like a story or something....

Sharona took her time to wake up.

Her head had been bashed against the wall… or the floor… she was only sure of the ache building behind her eyes and humming through her body like a live wire. Her hands and toes were cramping. It felt like waking up in a nightmare.

_ Blood flow’s bad, _ she thought. _ Must’ve been a few hours. _

“No point in pretending to be asleep,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear. “I can hear your breath change.”

She opened her eyes slowly. The smell of decay surrounded her from all sides. 

“You really don’t want this debt paid, huh?” she asked. There was no-one in front of her but that didn’t mean anything. For all she knew, those shapes in the distance were more of the walking dead, and she was just too dehydrated and concussed to figure it out.

There was a chuckle, and then the jiangshi walked around into her line of sight. “Is that what you think this is? Money?”

She shrugged. It was near impossible given how she’d been tied up, but A+ for effort. 

“Your lot sent us no more than a dozen letters demanding immediate payment,” she said. “If it’s about something else, then you needed to put that in writing.”

The blow came down before she could see it or flinch. One minute she was staring at the jiangshi. The next, her head had dropped to the side, and blood was trickling from her mouth down on the floor.

Sharona inhaled slowly and turned her body in the chair. “So we missed a few clauses?”

“Classless little upstart,” the jiangshi sneered. “I will enjoy breaking you greatly.”

“I would rather we sorted this out in a civilized manner,” she said. “Over tea and cucumber sandwiches.”

Another nasty smile. Then the monster clicked his fingers. 

There was a loud, dragging noise, and two more zombies appeared in her line of vision. Dragging a body between them. 

Sharona bit her tongue to keep from crying out. “Seto—” she whispered.

“Surprised? We caught him on his way out of his building. Damned fool didn’t even pause to look around.”

She looked up and to the side, and noticed the ghosts of the two interns hovering in the background. Their expressions - part guilt, part defiance - told her all she needed to know.

_ Damn it. _

The jiangshi tied Seto to another chair, in a way similar to hers - rope for the feet, handcuffs for the arms. She couldn’t tell if it was for her benefit or theirs. Hell, she couldn’t even tell if he was breathing. She didn’t want to think of what might happen if they’d hit him too hard on the head, or if they accidentally crushed his windpipe, or… or… or…

_ Stop it. They’re trying to psych you out. _

They were bothering with bindings, therefore, they were afraid he might wake up. She couldn’t cower. She had to go on the offensive.

Throwing her head back, Sharona let out the loudest, fullest, most sincere laugh she could muster without sounding hysterical. Fun fact - acting class couldn’t teach you how to do that. She hoped the monsters holding them weren’t savvy enough to tell.

Another blow landed, this time in her stomach, causing her to double up in her restraints. She still kept chuckling.

“You’re in no position to mock us,” the ringleader hissed. 

“Amn’t I?” she said, coughing a bit. “What’s your exit strategy here? You can kidnap and torture me - fine. But kidnapping a billionaire in his own parking lot?”

“My masters once enslaved the greatest movie star in the world. We can do it again.”

Turn him into a jiangshi? To serve the Tao family? Now she didn’t even have to force the laughter.

“You guys are delusional,” she said. “This isn’t some B-movie chump that’ll be missed by his agent and no-one else. His private army is probably on its way, ready to swamp this dump.”

The ringleader grinned and held out something. From where she stood, it looked like a crushed microchip. “I had half a mind to lead them here,” he said. “To let you witness our power. But that would be more than what you deserve.”

Seto started to move, groaning into his restraints. She forced herself not to look, not to allow any emotion other than mocking contempt in her voice. “Oh, good, you used your one brain cell,” she said, sneering. “Seriously, what is your plan? Because right now, you’re acting like a plot device in a bad fanfic.”

The jiangshi grabbed her by the neck and squeezed. Sharona held her breath, but he was applying pressure to her mastoids, not her windpipe. It hurt, but it wouldn’t kill her.

Still. Her pulse spiked rapidly, and she felt like her heart might burst through her chest.

“You think you’re so smart, stalling us? Bluffing in the hopes that help would come? But you don’t even know what time it is, or how far we have traveled. I could have you all to myself, torture you for days, and nobody would hear you scream.”

_ Lie. _ She’d have felt it if she’d been tied for long. She would have. 

“Why scream—” she panted “—when we can negotiate?”

The jiangshi grinned. “You’re in no position to.”

“No. But he is.”

Seto had opened his eyes fully, and was looking at the scene in front of him, face pale and shocked. She tried to convey “I’m sorry, keep it cool” as much as possible. 

“He doesn’t seem to be in any shape to talk to anybody,” the jiangshi said. “In fact, he looks like he might throw up.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have clubbed him over the head then,” she said. “Let him get himself together and then we can talk.”

“And still, I ask - what could he possibly have that we want?”

“I don’t care what you want,” she said. “I’m talking about whomever it is that sent you.”

The monster narrowed its eyes. She carried on.

“Whatever your master wants, our deaths will bring the least profitable payoff. Ask him. That’s all. You’re not losing anything by checking.”

There was that smirk she knew and loathed.

“Maybe I will stay here,” it said. “Wait until we finish hunting down the rest of you. If he doesn’t recover by then, his part in this would be over.”

“You’d be making a mistake, then,” Seto croaked in the distance. There was a flash as the jiangshi let go of her. She turned just in time to see it pull him up by his hair, dragging him up to eye level. 

Seto didn’t even flinch. “My adopted father was running one of the biggest military suppliers in the world. You think that died down just because of new management?”

The jiangshi froze.

Sharona had no time to wonder whether that was a bluff or not - she threw him a self-satisfied grin anyway, as if to say _ Aren’t you the stupid one? _

There was a scrape as Seto was set down. “I’ll be back,” the monster said. “My associates will rip you apart if you make trouble.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Sharona said.

Now all she had to do was convince Kaiba that he could control spirits, too.

***

Seto wished this was just a nightmare he’d fallen into. It would be so nice, so easy, to just wake up, with no care in the world and no genuine concerns beyond the company’s annual balance sheets.

The pain in his head felt too real, though.

That, and the actual, physical sickness that had come over him as soon as he’d opened his eyes. The compounded effects of the creatures around him and the wounds they’d dealt were almost too much to bear.

Almost.

“I don’t suppose you had another tracker on your person?” Sharona murmured, glancing back as subtly as she could muster. He tensed, expecting the creatures around them to attack; but they just stood there. As still as corpses.

_ Because they are corpses. They are walking, talking corpses. _

He gagged a little and forced himself to swallow back the bile. No showing weakness. Not here. Not now.

“I’m guessing not,” she added. “Or else we would have heard them. Did you tell anybody you were coming?”

“I called one of your friends,” he said. “Figured they’d want to know.”

“Good. How soon did they say they’d be there?”

He was silent; shamefully so.

“They did say they were coming, right?”

“I told them I’d handle it myself.”

She inhaled sharply. He knew what she was about to say and he went on the offensive. “Well, you told me you guys weren’t powerful. You were running from these creeps. What was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, wait two seconds before you followed unfamiliar ghosts to a strange location?” 

“I pay my security for a reason, I thought that was enough. And _ you _ never told me ghosts could lie!”

“Twenty-four hours ago, I didn’t even know you’d _ consider _ the idea of ghosts, let alone listen to what they had to say! For crying out loud, I may be good, but I did not fuck you stupid,” she said. 

There was a shuffling sound and one of the creatures that guarded them hopped over. _ Hopped. _ In any other situation Seto would have considered the situation comical. Now, he stood still, waiting to see whether it was as slap-happy as its leader.

It wasn’t. Instead, it sniffed the air around Sharona and gave her a leer from behind its mask. Then it hopped off, back to its hiding place, just out of their line of vision.

“What do you think they want?” he asked.

“Doesn’t matter. They have us tied up. This is the best it’s ever going to get.” Sharona was breathing funny - quick inhale, pause, long exhale. As if she was psyching herself up.

He glanced at her, trying not to let any alarm show. Was she about to do something dangerous? He knew that he was in no position to comment but he still felt a flash of fear, as real as fire. He didn’t want to die, and he didn’t want _ her _ dying either.

“I can negotiate,” he said.

“That’s nice.”

“I can give them all the money they want.”

“They’re not in it for the money,” she was staring right ahead. He followed her gaze to a bauble hung on the far wall. He swore it looked like it was full of pink smoke, but maybe he was just seeing things.

“What do you mean? What else could they want?” Now he was babbling. 

“Bigger endgame,” she said. “Must be trying to leverage power, or humiliate someone else, or both. Not my main concern. I need you to call your Blue Eyes.”

Seto wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “My what?”

“The dragon that attacked me yesterday. It’s tied to you. I need you to call her.”

She’d lost it. That was the only explanation. She’d lost it completely and he was stuck trying to get both of them out by himself.

“I hate to tell you this, but the Blue Eyes White Dragon is a Duel Monster.”

“Can we skip the part where you protest, and focus on the logistics?” she hissed. “Listen, there are spirits clinging onto you. You can call them to do your bidding, but we only get one chance to do it. Once these guys realize what you are, they will attack.”

“Oh, good. Telling them I’m dangerous while we’re both strapped in.” He didn’t feel dangerous. And, knowing what damage his dragon wrought on the field, he wasn’t too excited about having it in an abandoned warehouse, actually inflicting it around them.

“I need you to trust me,” Sharona said. “They captured my guardian spirit in the glass ball over there. You need to summon the Blue Eyes and order it to break it. I can take it from there.”

“You’re tied—”

“I live with a dominatrix, these handcuffs are my bitch,” she snarled. “Can you do it or not?”

He felt like an idiot. But the creatures that had captured them weren’t coming closer again. They didn’t care? Or they didn’t understand? Suddenly, Seto decided that he didn’t care either way. She was right - they were in a helpless position. This wasn’t the start to any good relationship.

“Blue Eyes White Dragon,” he whispered under his breath. “Come forth.”

Nothing.

Anger spurred him on. “I said, come forth!”

Movement. Their captors were getting curious. But no dragon.

“If you die, Mokuba is all alone,” Sharona said. “How do you think he’s going to be without you? Back in the system?”

He’d drown. He’d drown, and this time would be worse because Seto had promised to always be there for him. The ensuing panic and fear and rage coalesced inside of him.

He didn’t even have to call out anymore. One minute they were in a dark warehouse. The next, it was full of light, and a bright blue dragon appeared in the air above them, its massive wings spread out protectively. 

Shrieks and gasps. Their captors were scared. Good. 

“Knock down that bauble,” Seto grated. “Now. And then blast these monsters.”

Sharona gasped. He turned, wondering what he’d said to upset her, only to find her squeezing her left hand out of the handcuffs, eyes closed and jaw set. Momentarily, he was taken aback - could a human hand contort that way? - then she was up, turning, and slapping the offending chair into the ground, splintering it. His dragon knocked over the glass ornament just as it was rearing to blast at their jailers, and the room was filled with smoke.

When it cleared - or rather, when Blue Eyes finally hit the monsters with its white lightning - Seto opened his eyes to find Sharona fully free, holding a scythe of all things, and grinning like a maniac.

“Now, assholes,” she said, “let’s see what you can do in a fair fight.”

***

She had about two seconds to cut Seto’s bindings before the remaining jiangshi were on her. Seto’s dragon didn’t hold its form - she didn’t expect it to - and his blast was somewhat weakened. But it was enough. It had to be enough.

Sharona hadn’t lied - she wasn’t a great fighter. But what she did know, she had learned to its absolute best. And she had more stamina and guts than these losers combined.

Seto got out of her way - had enough sense to stay out of her way - as she whirled into action. Enra Enra cackled with glee in her hands as she cut through the jiangshi, dancing out of the way of their kicks and slicking at limbs and torsos like they were nothing. A few of the creatures that had been zapped started to move again, but before they could rise, she stabbed them with the short, sharp end of her weapon, taking their heads clean off.

She _ might _ have been showing off… just a little. 

The door opened. More jiangshi came in.

Then there was a great big bang from the other end of the warehouse - the wall where Enra Enra had been hung on. Sharona braced herself for more attackers, but it wasn’t. 

“Get down,” Millie shouted, bringing up her crossbow. Sharona ducked just in time before a red arrow piereced her three nearest attackers. Next thing she knew, Lilly and Sally were tearing past her, weapons out, and Millie’s hand was wrapping around her elbow. “Come on,” she said. “Come on!”

Sharona opened her mouth to say ‘Get Seto’, only she saw Lilly had found him already. Her friend had grabbed hold of his arm and was rushing him toward the exit as fast as possible - to safety, yes, but also a vulnerable prey to anybody who cared to attack. She nodded at Milly and ran after them in the light.


	20. Being

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> I do own a pair of glasses but I seem to have misplaced them while writing this chapter. Fully expecting to have to go back and fix the typos tomorrow...
> 
> Oh, well.

In the end, the fighting took less time than a duel.

No, really. He counted. 

One moment, he sat there, jaw agape at the fact that _ his _ monster had manifested there, without a duel disk and a projector; the next he was coughing his lungs out and being hauled into the street by a woman muttering: “Take care of things himself, will he? Get her out on his own, will he? Idiot.”

He would have objected but he felt so sick he might have thrown up if he opened his mouth. Instead, he watched as Sharona ran out after them, holding her weapon - _ a scythe, she was holding and actual scythe _ \- ready to attach anybody that came after them.

Except, nobody did. In fact, the whole street felt eerily silent, as if time had stood still. From inside the warehouse, there were grunts and the occasional shout, but that was as far as it went. As far as any of it went. For all he knew, this was like any other gang clash.

Suddenly, he realized why the creatures that had kidnapped them didn’t worry about screams and shouts. They were at the docks. Nobody would follow the sounds of a fight on the docks unless they were implicated in one.

Which, in this case, was true.

Then Lilly was pulling his arm and Sharona was flanking them, and the three circled the nearby building to find a van waiting with its engine running. No driver. Seto didn’t even have a chance to ask what was going on, before the rest of the girls appeared, sweaty and disheveled.

“In!” Sally ordered, jumping in the driver’s seat. They piled in, one after the other. Sally took off before they even slid the door closed.

“Shit! Careful!” Sharona screamed. “What’s the point of rescuing us if you kill us in traffic?”

Sally let out a guttural laugh… or maybe it was a sob? He couldn’t tell - he was squashed in the backseat, his woman practically on his lap, while her friends made their various weapons and scrapes disappear. In any other situation, he’d be asking what nightmare this was. 

In any other one.

“Thought you didn’t have a car,” he finally managed. His arm came around Sharona.

“We didn’t. Had to sell off my firstborn to my supervisor to get this one,” Sally said. “More fool him.”

Seto wanted to ask why, but a sharp turn pushed Sharona more into him, and he decided that this wasn’t really the most pressing issue. In fact, it didn’t even rank in his top three.

She was there. She was alive. They both were. That was all that mattered, right? 

Sharona gave his hand a squeeze, then pushed off the seat until she was leaning over the front. “Drive to the private hospital. We can drop him off there.”

_ Wait, what? _

“Won’t the docs there ring the alarm?” Sally asked.

“They won’t do shit unless he tells them,” Sharona replied, glancing back. “You won’t, right?”

“Tell them what?” He narrowed his eyes. “If you’re thinking of leaving me on a gurney and running away—”

“You’d rather die of smoke inhalation? Or compartment syndrome? Is that what you want?” She glared. “You’re getting treatment. That’s not up for debate.”

“If I’m going, you’re coming too.” He pulled her back into his lap, not even caring how it looked to the girls around them. He whispered in her ear, “Don’t think you can have one set of standards for you and one for me. We’re either getting help together, or we are going home.”

She inhaled sharply, furious that her weakness was being used against her. But he wasn’t about to let off either, and he wasn’t going to make it easy for them to just dump him in the hands of his physician. 

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll heal you then.”

“Glad we sorted that out. Take the road to Domino Heights and drive all the way West 57,” he told Sally.

“What’s there?” the redhead said, dubiously.

“My home.” And that, unlike his office, was a fortress.

***

Sharona barely had time to wrap her head around what had happened before they were helping Seto out of the car and into his house. The fact that none of his staff saw fit to intervene or call the police (or even an ambulance) was only slightly less disconcerting than the fact that he was able to more or less walk up a flight of stairs and into one of his guest bedrooms.

“Who’s got the most energy?” Lilly asked, while Sharona took off his suit jacket and tie.

“I can do it,” she said, over her shoulder. “You girls keep guard outside. Or… er… bring the car back to the pound, I guess.”

Sally put her hand on Sharona’s shoulder. A moment later, a burst of warmth filled her, followed by a buzzing sensation. Lilly, Ellie and Millie did the same, until she felt full near bursting. “We’ll be ready,” Lilly said. 

The door clicked closed.

“Ready for what?” Seto croaked. 

To run. “For an attack. There’s a chance they followed us back.” She started unbuttoning his shirt and swallowed hard as she saw the bruises marring his chest. “I— I think you need to lie down.”

“I think I’d rather sit,” he said. 

Another swallow. She suddenly felt shy, nervous… ungainly. She knew time was short but she couldn’t rush healing him. Her own body, she understood well enough to sort out. His… 

His, she’d only explored 24 hours before.

“I’m sorry,” she said, as she began to send energy through her hands and into his ribs and chest. “I swear, this doesn’t happen to all the guys I sleep with.”

Seto snorted. “I’m honored.” He closed his eyes a little bit, head lulling to the side. She tried pushing him back onto the bed but he sat bolt upright, staring at her. “Don’t think of putting me to sleep.”

“You’ll feel better if you lay down,” she said, closing her own eyes and trying to focus. His gaze on her was too direct. Too… real. She didn’t like having this sort of scrutiny on her. Trailing her hands upwards, she caressed his throat, looking for any sign of smoke damage, before sliding her hands along his head and through his hair. Bumps and scrapes, but no significant concussions or spillage of blood… that she could tell, anyway.

“A more verbal person would be telling me what an idiot I am now.” His breath was hot on her face. 

“A smarter person would have called a doctor by now,” she replied. Nothing was wrong with him that he couldn’t fix himself. She was tempted to send energy there anyway, but any short-term gains from it would probably be undone within a few days. 

She trailed her hands back down, over his shoulders, down his arms, until she found his bruised wrists. She urged the muscles to heal, for the torn skin to adjust. She then did the same for his ankles, spending time touching the slim muscles and sharp bones, healing a welt she’d made accidentally while cutting him free. Only once the worst of the damage had been dealt with did she open her eyes and look at him properly. 

Next to the jiangshi, he’d looked like a rag doll. Here, the man positively _ loomed _. She was suddenly very aware of their position - her kneeling between his legs, him leaning on his hands - and yet she wasn’t alarmed. If anything, the stress and exhaustion from the day seemed to catch up to her in this very moment. Seto caught her before she keeled over completely, then slid off the bed and sat on the floor with her. 

“I need to go home,” she whispered against his neck. “We all do.”

“Later.” He picked up the hand she’d squeezed through the handcuffs and examining it. She’d had to dislocate her thumb to get it done. Now, it was whole, if sore - and he was looking at it like it was the most amazing thing in the world. “There’s time. You’re safe for now.”

She sniffed. “Mokuba will be home soon,” she said, glancing at the clock. “He can’t find us here.”

“Are you kidding me? It’ll make his day.”

Sharona tried to pull herself together. It would be so easy to sink into his arms, to completely disappear. But every moment she spent there, the more difficult it would be to walk away.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean for this to happen to you. I just wanted a job.”

He cupped her face. “I told you once and I’ll tell you again - what happened was my choice.” Then he kissed her, once, and hard. “Mine,” he rasped. “And I won’t have you martyring yourself because of it.”

Sharona chuckled. “Damn you, man. I’m trying to make life easier for us.”

“Tough,” he pulled her back into his arms. “You shouldn’t have saved me then.”

***

In the end, he didn’t even have to convince the rest of the girls to stay over. As soon as his brother returned, it was a short journey from: “Oh, hi, you guys!” to “Of course you’re staying over, let me show you where the guest rooms are.” He didn’t even ask why his dear brother could barely stand on his feet - as far as he was concerned, this was a great way to start the week.

Sharona clearly didn’t think so, but at least she’d given up on trying to run away. Her friends, too, looked utterly exhausted, and Seto wasn’t above pointing out the obvious: regardless of how many creatures they’d taken out today, the ringleader had escaped, and it knew where they lived. Staying in a safe place, if only for a couple of nights was only sensible.

With Ellie and Lilly calling in sick, and Sally having returned their vehicle, there was no reason for any of them to venture outside.

And really - the night was much too miserable for them to wander in there.

“I never ended up firing you,” Seto said. He was sprawled in one of the living room chairs, working up the energy to go upstairs and shower. 

Sharona, who had been lying on the couch opposite him, raised her head warily. 

He dug through his pocket, producing the (miraculously undamaged) envelope he’d stuffed there once he’d finished with HR. He slid it across the coffee table at her.

She didn’t pick it up immediately. “You know,” she said, “when a girl saves your life, she expects something a bit nicer for a thank you. Flowers, maybe. Or chocolates. Not the pink slip.”

“Neither of us would have made it out of there without the other’s help,” he said, ignoring the irony of… well, all of it. Yugi Muto wouldn’t believe his ears if he heard it. “And as for a thank you, I’m not doing anything until I’ve had a meal and a shower.”

Sharona smirked. Then, with one hand, she pulled the envelope over and stuck it in the pocket of her trousers. He tried to hide his disappointment while she lay back and closed her eyes again. She’d read it soon enough. She had to.

Deciding that a change of tack was necessary, he said: 

“So I have an actual dragon at my command?”

“You have a _ guardian spirit _ that turns into a _ dragon _. Although for the life of me I can’t tell who is controlling whom.” She paused. “Though, I suppose, if you didn’t want to get hung up on the technicalities… yes, you do have a dragon at your command. She’s very beautiful.”

“She?”

“You never see her before she transforms? Young girl, white hair, blue eyes.”

He frowned. “Kisara? You saw Kisara?”

She seemed to wake up then. “You know her?”

“Kind of.” Seto rubbed his face. He didn’t feel like talking about this, but after everything that had happened, it seemed churlish to hold back. “Some years ago, when I first started dueling against Yugi Muto, I noticed that his persona seemed to change a lot whenever he played Duel Monsters. That didn’t bother me terribly - I assumed a good opponent was a good opponent, regardless of anything else. But then all his friends were referring to that persona as if it was a separate being, and insisted that it was a 5000 year old Pharaoh I was dueling against. Naturally, I thought they were all mad.”

“Naturally,” Sharona said, wryly. “What made you change your mind?”

“Seeing them separate. But that’s neither here nor there.” Seto looked around, wondering how he was going to even breach this topic. “At one point, I followed them to Egypt, trying to prove to them and myself that their nonsense was not based in reality. I ended up being sucked into a vision of the past. That’s where I met Kisara.”

He remembered the shock of seeing her - this girl who had always appeared as a dead body to him, suddenly so full of life - and the easy familiarity she’d had with his counterpart. He’d only seen them interacting once, so he couldn’t be sure if they were lovers or just wanted to be, but their feelings for one another had been unmistakable.

“She was… a girl, and she was close to a man that was close to the Pharaoh at the time. A man who looked exactly like me,” Seto said, shrugging. “She died trying to protect him, and her soul became bound to him. I don’t know why she would be around me, though.”

“No?” Sharona sat up. “You don’t believe she would be tied to you?”

“I am not him,” Seto said, definitively. “Trust me - I saw enough to know that the two of us could not be more different.”

She seemed unconvinced, but she didn’t pursue it, for which he was grateful. He didn’t want his affiliation to this monster to be based on someone else’s death - even if that had happened 5000 years ago. He didn’t want to contemplate what it must have been like for Kisara to exist in this way. Nor did he like the idea that he - without his knowledge or consent - had a secret ghostly girlfriend who attacked anybody he was even remotely mistrustful of.

Thankfully, Sharona didn’t breach that particular topic, choosing instead: “She wasn’t alone there. That black collar on your dragon… that wasn’t a feature.”

“You’re saying that’s another spirit?”

She shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “When I was working for you…” she looked embarrassed “…I tried reaching out to them. Just to say hi. I wanted to ask them if there was anything I could do to help.” Sharona chuckled. “More fool me. I didn’t bank on them being so old. They didn’t even speak English - no wonder they attacked.”

“You tried to get rid of them?” he asked.

“Before I knew what they were, yes,” she said. “You don’t know this but… when spirits cling onto a living person, things don’t tend to turn out well for the human. I figured if I could talk to them, I could get a sense of what they wanted from you. I guess I should have kept my opinions to myself.”

Seto wasn’t sure how to respond. Yes, it did strike him as reckless - in fact, it struck him as supremely dangerous, given what the dragon could do. 

Then his eyes narrowed.

“When you had that accident with the welder,” he said, “was that really because you were careless, or was it because they lashed out at you?”

“Little bit of both,” Sharona didn’t seem to realize what she’d said. That, or the notion of having her internal organs flash-fried was no longer interesting to her. “They startled me, I fell back… grabbed the welder by the business end. That was my fault, though. I shouldn’t have tried to flirt with you and talk to them.”

Seto shook his head. “You—” then he stopped, because the door to the living room opened and Sally, the tall redhead, came in.

“Bathroom is free,” she said to Sharona. “If you want it, I mean.”

“In just a moment—”

“We can talk later,” Seto said. He lay back in his armchair. “And I have been unspeakably rude to the rest of your friends. You need to give me a chance to at least try and charm them.”

Sharona snorted and stood up. The envelope holding her severance nearly slipped out of her pocket. She caught it just in time. “Don’t wanna lose that,” she said. “You’d hate it if I showed up at work tomorrow.”

Seto just raised an eyebrow. Then he turned to Sally, who was giving him an arch look. “Can I offer you a coffee then?”

“You ran out to save her with her walking papers in your pocket?” she asked instead. 

He suddenly felt cold. But Sally didn’t seem angry or upset… yet. Deciding that honesty had worked for Sharona, Seto said: “I don’t fuck my employees. And in all fairness, I had every expectation that I would save her without problem.”

The redhead let out a big laugh. “Dude. I don’t know whether I owe you an apology or an ass-kicking.”

That sounded… mildly forgiving. He decided to hedge his bets. “Can’t I have both?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't suppose a review is out of the question?


	21. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.

“I don’t suppose you know more about this situation than Sharona?” he asked. He and Sally had wandered into the kitchen, ostensibly for coffee, although neither of them looked interested. After a few beats, Seto started pulling ingredients out of the fridge and announced his intention to get dinner going.

“You don’t have staff to do this?” Sally had asked.

“Not on school nights,” he’d announced. “I wouldn’t see my brother otherwise.”

If that had surprised her, she didn’t say, rolling up her sleeves instead and washing her hands to help. Despite Millie’s assertion that she could burn water, the redhead seemed completely at ease chopping, slicing, and peeling anything thrown her way, and before too long, she and Seto had settled into a rhythm of work.

That was how the conversation turned to their current predicament. 

“She told me there was a debt,” he went on, “and that there was more to it than meets the eye.”

“But, of course, she didn’t elaborate,” Sally said, dryly.

“Said it wasn’t her story to tell.” 

“And you think it’s mine?”

“You said you owed me an apology.” Seto shrugged. “And I nearly died today. That does tend to make one curious.”

Sally snorted. “Can I ask you something first?” Her chopping got louder. 

Was refusal even an option? “Does it have anything to do with my intentions towards your friend?”

“Sharona’s a grown-ass woman. She can make decisions about her life and kick ass without any help. I wanna know whether your brother will behave himself around Millie.”

Seto paused. “What do you mean?”

“Stupid isn’t a good look on you, Kaiba. If these two IM each other any more, their thumbs will fall off. Is he safe, or do I need to have a little word with him.”

He tried imagining his brother getting any word from these women. Millie was a sweet girl, but the rest of them - Sharona especially - were terrifying. “One of you is a dominatrix,” he said. “Shouldn’t I be the one worried about her behavior?”

“Are you?” She raised an eyebrow.

No. But he wasn’t about to back down. He raised an eyebrow back. 

Sally chuckled. “Millie still thinks you’ve got to be in love to have sex. She wouldn’t dream of pressuring your brother into anything he doesn’t want.”

“Good. And I can confirm Mokuba is a perfect gentleman.” Unlike his brother. 

“FYI, Lilly doesn’t bring her work home, either. She does most of her domme-ing from a call center.”

“Sharona got out of handcuffs today.”

“It’s a useful skill to have,” the redhead said, picking up her knife and chopping onions again. “Listen, I’m not busting your balls for the fun of it. It’s just that Mills is the only one of us who still hasn’t turned into a jaded cynic. We want her to hold onto that for a little longer.”

The unspoken - that none of them had reasons to enjoy non-cynical romance - hung in the air like a bad smell. Seto shrugged his shoulders. “She has a good friend in Mokuba. If and until she wants otherwise, that’s what they will be. But why is this so important to you?”

Sally gave him a wry look. “Because of the story you wanted. And I needed to check something before you heard it.”

***

Sharona was planning a quick shower. She really was. But for some reason she couldn’t tear herself out from the bathroom. It was so warm in there. So… reassuring. 

And she really, _ really _ did not want to face Seto again.

That was probably the worst of it. She knew she had to, and the conversation that they had to have was not going to be fun at all. 

She sighed and turned off the tap. 

Outside, Ellie was sitting cross-legged on the bed, tapping away on her phone. She gave Sharona a curious look. “How are you feeling?”

Sharona flexed the hand she had dislocated. “Okay. I healed.”

“Uh-huh…” Her friend set her phone aside.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ellie shrugged. “I don’t know. I just expected for all of us to be running for the hills by now. Not chilling out in someone else’s home while the enemy recuperates.” 

Sharona picked up her clothes and studied them. She didn’t want to put them back on. They stank. And they looked awful. Ellie coughed and tossed her a clean dress. “Courtesy of our host. Apparently he has women’s clothes just lying around.”

“This is a cook’s uniform,” Sharona said. As she set down her old clothes, she felt the envelope with her severance crinkle in her pocket. Sighing, she pulled it out. She wasn’t ready to read this yet. Putting it in her new dress’ pocket, she said to Ellie, “What is worrying you, really?”

“You got kidnapped. Both you were, in broad daylight, and you could have easily been murdered. What’s not worrying about that?” Ellie gave her a hard look. “I’m not going to blame you for how you dealt with it. But I don’t want to keep my sister in a dangerous situation for longer than necessary.”

Sharona sighed. She walked behind a changing screen to slip on the dress and took the opportunity to consider her answer. “Did you see the gates we drove by on the way over?”

“Yes.”

“And the guards in the parameter.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Did you notice an alarm system before I started healing Seto?”

“The guy is rich. I know. Doesn’t mean we are safe with him.”

Sharona stepped outside. “No, but we might be safe for a little bit, until we get out breath back.” Her voice softened. “Do you really want to run now? Scrap our identities and start all over again?”

Her friend winced. “No. Of course not.” She looked sad. “But it’s clear that Tao is done being patient with us. What will happen tomorrow? Or the day after? We can’t hide here forever - not if we want to pay this debt off - and as soon as one of us is alone, what will stop them from finishing off what they started? What will happen to us then?”

Sharona sat down and hugged her close. “Listen to me carefully,” she said, squeezing her tight. “Tao will not scare us. Understand? We’re not going to let him. We will win this, and then send him the biggest ‘fuck you’ there ever was.”

“We can’t,” she sniffed. “You’re out of a job. We will all be, soon.”

And Ellie had been the one to encourage her to pursue this thing with Seto, too. Yes, Sharona could see why she was upset. Hell, Sharona barely held _ herself _ back from throwing a fit. She was furious with herself. 

How could she let her own feelings override her better judgment? 

Oh, right. Because she was an idiot.

“I’m sorry,” she said. 

“I should be the one apologizing,” Ellie sniffed. “We should all be. We weren’t there for you and we put too much pressure on you—”

“We put pressure on each other,” Sharona said. There was a crinkle in her pocket as Ellie shifted, and she pulled the envelope back out. This was getting ridiculous. She had to at least figure out what she had to work with. Tearing the top off, she pulled the slips out and held them in front of herself. And then promptly dropped them. 

“What—” Ellie started to pick them up, then her eyes widened. “Sharona—”

“Yeah?”

“That… decimal point shouldn’t be there, should it?”

“Certainly not.” She racked her brain for an explanation. There was a throwaway comment he’d made that the solution she was developing could save his company millions… but did that warrant so much in return? In one go? And that was after they’d helpfully deducted tax from there. She was sure this was a clerical error, but no - there was even a helpful bit at the bottom explaining what her severance was in actual words.

“Small bills with a big red bow,” Ellie muttered, hysterically.

“And a card that says ‘fuck you’. Yeah, I know.” Yet her mind rebelled at the notion. This had been in his pocket all day. How was that even possible? “I— I need to speak to our host.”

She made it about five steps out of the room before a sound made her freeze. Was it… it couldn’t be… laughter?

She walked more slowly, edging closer and closer to the door of the kitchen where the noise was coming from. Seto and Sally were joking about dinner. Specifically, just how spicy their dinner had to be.

“I’m telling you, this isn’t enough,” Sally was saying. “You’re meant to actually taste the heat, not get a suspicion for it.”

“The recipe calls for a pinch - not to rob all of Szechuan of its peppercorns.” Seto caught Sharona’s eyes. “Where do the rest of you fall on this?”

“What?”

“Heat. Sally insists that ma po tofu is done a certain way. I’m telling her she is losing her mind. How much heat do you want in this?”

Sharona shook her head. “I— don’t mind all that much, really. But it’s easier to put heat in than it is to take it out.”

He gave Sally a triumphant look. The latter threw her hands up in exasperation.

Sharona inhaled. The words ‘I need to talk to you in private’ formed in her mind, but somehow didn’t make it to her mouth. She watched as he held himself in the room, effortlessly talking to her two friends as if they’d known each other for years. He was perfectly polite, if not outright charming. Was that just how he acted around people who saved his life? Or was there more to it than that?

Cowardice made her sit down. Ellie met her eye, but when she shook her head at her, her friend just nodded and continued acting totally interested in what Seto was saying. Meanwhile, Sharona just sat there, mind reeling. It was as if she was watching from inside a dream.

***

_ The nightmare started innocently enough. _

_Seto was with Kisara. Or rather, judging by the opulent setting around them, it was his counterpart, the Pharaoh’s Guardian of 5000 years ago, that led her through the palace. The two were barely talking, but every now and again, she squeezed his hand, as if _ he _ were the one that needed reassuring._

_And then the setting changed. They were in a room together, and she was pushing the elaborate headdress away as he was kissing her._

_Seto - at least the part of him that was a modern man - cringed and tried to look away. No matter what they said about this being a past life of his, he couldn’t help feeling like he was intruding. This was a private moment. He had no part to play._

_Then she was thrashing against him, and he opened his eyes to find his hand closing around her throat. Giant blue eyes turned green, white hair deepened to a blinding yellow, and suddenly he wasn’t holding Kisara in his arms anymore. Shocked, he watched as Sharona’s body went limp in his arms, all while a horrible screaming engulfed the air around them. _

Seto sat upright, sweating and shaking like a leaf. The clock on his bedside table read one AM. The moon shone brightly through the window, and the house was at peace.

He should have lain down and gotten back to sleep. Instead, he shoved his covers off and went to check in on Mokuba.

His brother lay in bed, as peaceful as a child. Seto went in, just in case. He was breathing. He was resting. No monsters were dogging him tonight.

_ Good, _ Seto thought. _ That makes one of us. _

In the corridor, he pondered the doors to the guest rooms. He hadn’t checked to see who went where, and he couldn’t well open at random, hoping it would be Sharona’s one. He couldn’t even imagine what he would say, if he was successful on the first go, and she caught him at it. _ Sorry, I had a night terror, and wanted to make I hadn’t strangled you in my sleep. _ He would come off like a complete creep. 

_ —for you! All of it was for you! _

The voice echoed through his mind, sudden as a slap, making him fall against the wall. What was that? _ Who _ was that? He didn’t recognize Kisara, or even his ancient counterpart, but there was something definitely familiar about it.

Seto sighed and rested his head against the wall. He didn’t need a shrink to know he was dealing with a lot at this moment. Hell, even if he had never experienced any trauma before in his life, he had just been kidnapped and then violently rescued. He’d had nightmares after Duelist Kingdom; he’d lost a lot of sleep after his adventures in the Virtual World; and he’d certainly spent a lot of nights at the lab, trying to out-think everything that had happened to him in Egypt. For all he knew, he’d been due for a total meltdown ages ago and the previous day had been the final straw.

And yet… how much more could he reveal to Sharona about his life? She clearly knew a lot about spirits and how to harness them into power, but to give her so much from himself just felt wrong. He didn’t want to be vulnerable to her. He couldn’t accept it.

_ Bit late for that, don’t you think? _

He squeezed his eyes tighter, exhaustion and anger fighting for dominance. Yes. He’d been supremely selfish to have all of the girls here, under his roof. He should have been glad at their attempts to leave. All he’d needed to do was discharge his debt to Sharona - if he dropped the envelope in the car, his conscious would have been cleared.

And then the noise of a door clicking open had him standing bolt upright, adrenalin sending his system in high alert.

There she stood, in that same dress she’d worn to dinner, hair disheveled, and just as wide awake as he was. He inhaled slowly, drinking in the sight of her as the tension slowly started to ease off his body. Even if he didn’t trust her, he was glad she was okay. 

“Bad dreams?” she whispered.

“Yes.”

“Need some company?”

No. 

Setting aside his own reservations about all of this, she’d been as battered as he had - if not more. He wasn’t about to take advantage of that, no matter how much of a selfish oaf he was considered to be. 

That was what his rational mind thought. That was not what came out of his mouth. “Please.”

She held out her hand - that small, scarred hand, so much different from the one he’d seen in his dreams. His own hand was pale and smooth, nothing like that of his ancient counterpart. This wasn’t the past… hell, what he’d seen that night wasn’t even in the past. Kisara had died in battle - anything else was just the ravings of his exhausted mind. 

Seto shook his head and came forward, making her retreat back into her room. The door clicked shut behind him. 

Sharona didn’t ask him what the matter was. He reached out to find the light switch, but she caught him and pulled him closer. She stopped about a breath away from his lips and studied his face in the dim light. 

“I should have let you go,” he whispered.

She sighed. Her hands trailed down his torso, her touch searing him like fire. 

“You’re right,” she said, as she pulled him in for a kiss. “You should have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had a week from hell. Any chance for a review/kudos?


	22. Small Bills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh. 
> 
> Just a muse who seems to love weird, unwarranted romance.

To wake him or not to wake him… that was the question.

Sharona rolled to her side, studying him. On the one hand, it’d be fun to see how he would react to being made late to work. On the other -- she glanced at the clock — this wasn’t really a conversation they could save for later. 

Decision made, she prodded him gently with her finger. “Wake up, Mr Kaiba. The world needs your brilliance.”

He snorted, then buried his face into his pillow.

Really?

She prodded him again, firmer this time. “Come on. You don’t want the competition to invent zero-emissions parks before you.”

“We’re not doing zero-emissions parks,” he murmured into the bed before finally opening his eyes and looking at her. “But I’ll put it on the list.”

That grin of his… Sharona was tempted to go a whole different route to making him late for work. 

Maybe next time.

She sat up, pushing the hair out of her eyes. “Be serious now. There’s something we need to discuss.”

He just raised an eyebrow in question. 

Sharona reached out to the bedside drawer and pulled out the envelope containing her severance. “There’s an error in this?”

“Oh?” he asked, taking the papers and studying them annoyed. “Too little?”

“No, Seto. It’s too much.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Ellie would kill her for this but she couldn’t let this just happen. Not like this, and not with him. “In what universe do you get seven figures for an unfinished prototype.”

“Quite easily if the prototype is worth billions,” he said. “This is an advisory note, anyway. The money will be automatically transferred into your bank account at the end of the month.”

“I can’t accept it. The prototype wasn’t working.”

“It was close enough for Jason to steal it. Don’t worry—” Seto added “—Security and Legal are already on it. He’ll be arrested before he can get on a flight.”

Sharona shook her head. “He won’t be able to make it work. The design has serious flaws in it.”

“Yes. Thank goodness I have an entire department who can work toward something tangible. With a competent leader and a good head start, I’d expect them to work out the flaws by the end of the month.” Seto handed the papers back to her. “The compensation is fair. Accept for the sake of your CV at least. Your current credentials may not open a lot of doors to you, but showing what you have done for Kaiba Corp means the others will at least look at at your application for long enough to give you a chance.”

She felt an irrational panic rise at the back of her mind. One that she could neither tame, nor hide. The easiest thing would just be to take the money and go. Possibly accept it as the parting gift of someone who wanted their dalliance to remain hidden.

Except Seto hadn’t acted like a rich guy looking for a conquest. He could have slapped her with an NDA or threatened her or promised her a promotion before kicking her out. Instead, he’d kept his promise - and then he’d come to her rescue when he’d thought she was in trouble. The fact that he’d been completely outclassed didn’t matter - he’d though he was helping her, and that had quite frankly been more than she’d ever expected. 

But she’d be damned if she asked him what all this meant. Fucking hell, they’d only hooked up two or three days ago.

“This amount of money would surely trip up the bank,” she said. “I can’t handle a tax audit or my accounts being frozen.”

“I can set you up with a more appropriate one, or have HR pay you in increments. Or—” Seto added “—you could just tell me what’s wrong.”

“Can’t you just accept that it’s important to me?” she muttered, looking away. 

There was a sigh, followed by the rustling of sheets. The next thing she knew, he was trailing his fingers down her arm.

He didn’t say anything for a while - he just sat with her, keeping his touch light.

“Counter-offer,” he said, at length. “I pay you your severance and only your severance - which isn’t much to begin with - and I also settle that debt you have hanging over your head. Any money leftover from that goes to a charity of your choice, and you only get a shiny certificate to prove the original idea was yours.”

“You seem convinced there’ll be money leftover,” she muttered, although, of course there would. 

Seto shrugged. “You told me the story wasn’t yours to share. I asked your friends until I found the one who could.” He stopped his ministrations and looked at her in the eye. “A rich guy betrayed her after they were intimate, and now you’re all dealing with the fallout. I’d be nervous, too, in your place. But if that’s the reason, you need to tell me.”

The embarrassment started to creep up her chest. “We never did discuss boundaries before we jumped into bed,” she said, glad for the distraction but still shaken. “And we were both kidnapped yesterday. I can’t help being a _ little _ bit irrational.”

“These are our boundaries,” he said, still not touching her. “This thing between us, that’s our business. It’s not to do with money, or inventions, or someone else’s fragile ego. As for your debts, I can’t say I agree with your taking the blame for it—” he shrugged “—but I acknowledge that sometimes the cheapest way to deal with a problem is with money. Whatever this guy’s deal is, paying him off will sever his hold on you. So, as far as I’m concerned, you can either take the money and do it, or you can let me call the bank and have his three million paid to him in Canadian pennies.”

“We were thinking of one dollar bills tied with a bow,” Sharona said.

“Sally told me. My idea is pettier.” 

“The plane won’t take off the ground if you send them over like that.”

“I can send it back in vouchers for the Dollar Menu at McDonald’s, too,” He kissed her shoulder. “I’m feeling extremely vindictive, but since you’ve been dealing with this for longer, I’ll go with whatever pleases you the most.”

Whatever pleased her the most… when was the last time anyone said something like that to her? “Regular money will do,” she said, leaning into him. “And I need you to amend my severance to reflect that arrangement.”

“I’ll put it on Gretchen’s to-do list for today,” he promised, then finally got up. She watched him put his sleepwear back on, then she added:

“The girls and I will go home today, too.”

***

_ I won’t let you. _

Seto had to bite his tongue to stop himself from speaking the thought out loud. “The payment will take a few days to process,” he said, keeping his voice blank. “It’ll be prudent for you to stay here at least until we receive confirmation that this is finished.”

She sat at the edge of the bed, wearing nothing but her hair and the sheet. Was she deliberately teasing him or was she just not bothered about her body? It seemed like the only moments when she was truly self-conscious were when they were intimate and he was getting a good look at her actual wounds, but then again, he’d be the same in her place.

“My home is my own,” she said. “And my friends and I won’t be hounded out.”

“I said it would be prudent to stay here, not that it was a perfect solution,” Seto said, harsher than he intended. 

“If that were the case, it’ll be prudent for you to stay here with us,” she said. “Seeing as we’re far better at fending off these monsters.”

The idea sounded more and more enticing. “I’ll appreciate it if you look after my brother for me while I’m at work. But I do pay my security team for a reason.”

Sharona raised an eyebrow. Then her expression softened. “You’re angry.”

“You’re perceptive.”

“And you’re scared, which makes you angrier. I get it,” she said, shrugging. “I’ve been there myself. But battering down the hatches isn’t going to make this better.”

He walked over until he was stood between her knees, and placed his hands on either side of her face. “And letting you go out there will?” he asked.

In a flash, the mental image of his hand closing around her throat came to him again, and he shook it off. He was awake. He was himself. These dark thoughts had no place in his world.

Sharona cupped her hands over his and smiled. “Right now, there’s no reason to assume I’m more than a hook up to you,” she said. “But it’ll raise suspicion if you keep me and my friends here. They’ll double their efforts. You don’t want to bring that fight here, remember? You want to keep your brother safe.”

_ But I want to keep you safe, too. _

He stomped that thought out, too. Hell, when had he become so clingy? 

Right… when his biggest opponent had turned out to be a ghost. When Seto had realized that all this time, he’d been battling not one, but two people. When his business flourished but his passion for it had died out. No wonder he’d latched onto the first interesting person who’d crossed his path. 

“Have I told you how much I hate it when you are right?” he asked.

Something passed through her eyes but she just leaned into his touch, her smile turning wicked. “Poor baby,” she crooned. “Maybe I can do something for you, soothe that bruised ego a bit?”

Seto ran his thumb over her lips. Sex - always so easy to default to that when they were upset. She really deserved better, but then, he never pretended to be a good person. “Maybe I should just keep pissing you off. Your idea of punishment sounded pretty appealing.”

“Did it?” Her eyes sparkled. “Then, Mr Kaiba, I would strongly advise you not to work this weekend.”

***

“So he just left it at that? And you didn’t push it?” Ellie asked, as the two walked slowly towards their apartment. Sally and Lilly were approaching from the other end. It was a painstaking task when all they wanted was to run there and make sure their sanctuary was still intact, but after the events of the previous day, none of them wanted to take chances.

Needless to say, any distraction was very welcome.

“What was I supposed to say?” Sharona asked, exasperated. “Hey, I know we just hooked up 48 hours ago, but where is this relationship going? Or better yet, what’s up with you charging into a room full of _ jiangshi _ like I’m your girlfriend or something?”

Ellie made a face. “You’re right. Best pretend there’s nothing to see there.”

They walked on. The sun was out, turning the whole street into something out of another world. After everything they’d been through yesterday, this cheery picture was completely out of place. And yet…

And yet here they were. Alive. Well. On the up-and-up, against all odds. “Listen, I’m just not ready to ponder the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything.”

“You don’t need to. It’s 42.”

“Ellie…”

Her friend rolled her eyes. “Chill. I get it. Just— look after your own heart, okay?”

“I know my own track record with men,” she said. “It will probably end in tears. That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the good stuff while it lasts.”

No comment came from Ellie. None was needed. 

The fact of the matter was, Sharona didn’t want to ask because she didn’t know what she would do with the answer. If all he wanted was her body, then fine - she lusted for him in the same way. They could get this out of their respective systems and move on, no hard feelings. Hell, the fact that he’d done so much in the interest of fairness was flattering - none of her other partners had bothered. 

But if he wanted more… what then? The notion conjured a million possibilities, each scarier than the next. He appreciated her mind, clearly, and liked her drive. He wasn’t interested in stifling her creativity or her ambitions. He certainly wasn’t put off by her rash temper, her pettiness, or her pride. The world was pulling them at all directions, yet whenever they touched, every bit of outside noise disappeared.

What would it be like? To be with someone who saw her, who nurtured her, who had her back one hundred percent… it was too good of a fantasy for the likes of her. 

The apartment complex came into view. Still there, still standing. Sharona cast her senses out, searching for monsters and hidden traps, and finding none. Their doormen, as Seto had called them, were still there, greeting them politely as they went inside. 

But the door to their flat was hanging open. Inside, the place had been turned inside out, as if someone had busted in and taken their fury out on their furniture. Sharona and Ellie shared a look, then started to search the rooms one by one - not for hidden attackers as much as figuring out what had made them go off like that. 

Sally and Lilly showed up five minutes later. The latter just swore and got on with the program. The former leaned against the door, eyes glazed as she perused everything around them.

“I really messed up, didn’t I?” she whispered.

Sharona shook her head no, and then went to hold her. 

Whatever had happened - whyever it had happened - was not to do with them. That much was clear.

She just hoped that Seto’s solution would work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mother Nature's been hating me this week, any chance for some love?


	23. Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> Content warning: mentions of violence in this chapter.

It was true what they said - a watched phone never rang.

Seto told himself that it was a good thing their communications were minimal over the following days. He still had a company to run, after all, and he wasn’t about to turn into one of those fools who considered texting a suitable replacement for a relationship. He had his pride. He had his job. He had his dignity.

Nonetheless, he would have appreciated _ some _ updates. Just the basics. Like whether they’d had their door replaced yet.

“Right, Mr Kaiba, that’s all for the day,” his private physician announced as he peeled off his gloves. “Good job on taking the initiative for your annual physical.”

Seto grunted, as he pulled his clothes back on. He wasn’t in the mood for any patronizing nonsense, even if he had invited it. “I assume you’d have the test results promptly?”

“Of course… though given your history, I don’t see why you’d be concerned about any of that.” The doctor paused. “These bruises…”

“An industrial accident.”

“Ah. Of course.” There was the scratch of pen on paper, as a few more things were added to his chart. He made a mental note to request a copy for his own records, just in case. “Err… would you like all your results in the mail, or would an electronic message suffice?” 

“I didn’t realize you offered options.” Seto gave him an arch look. “Have you changed something?”

The doctor shrugged. “Sometimes patients just want to know these things for their own sakes. Sometimes they want to know for someone else. Official stationary, we find, quite helps in latter cases. If the person has any further questions or comments or concerns—”

Seto waved him off. “Make it so.” The things he did sometimes…

His lawyer’s office was the next port of call - as it had been for every day of this week - to check what the status was on tracking down Jason and making sure his former Head of Engineering didn’t enjoy any of his plunder. The partners - and their aides, and every clerk he met - assured him none of this would happen, and yet with every day, Seto grew more and more impatient. He had spent his life accumulating power and money, and he was still vulnerable to every schmuck he allowed into his company.

“Must I literally demand my employees give away their firstborn before a promotion?” Seto asked. “Or is the law just so weak?”

“We ask you to be patient, sir,” the head partner at his in-house team said. “We cannot serve Mr de Vigny until he surfaces. Every effort is made to find him. I’m sure that in time—”

“I’ve given plenty of time,” Seto snapped, then clamped his mouth shut. He could just hear Sharona laughing at him. _ You poor thing. You have billions at your beck and call, and the world still vexes you… _

Damn that woman. Even his mental image of her was infuriating. 

Then again, if he wanted to surround himself with syncopates and fawning groupies, he would not have been on the engineering floor in the first place, meeting interns. Or bothered running Kaiba Corp at all - he could have just as easily sold the company in pieces and it still would have set him up for life. 

“Sir?”

He was losing his focus. The race wasn’t about who came up with a prototype anyway - it was for making the real thing better than anybody else. And his entire Engineering Department was already progressing with leaps and bounds. He was just spoiling for a fight because he had no-one else to hurt right now.

“Very well,” he said at last. “Keep at it, and inform me of any updates as they come. What about the other matter?”

The sun had set by the time he left the building, briefcase in one hand, phone in the other. No updates from anybody. Not even a text from Mokuba to remind him that he was out with his friends tonight. He was all alone.

Seto slumped in the car, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. He didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to go to his town apartment. Really, he ought to be getting rest, but all he wanted was to go to her, right now. 

_ Ridiculous. Let her come to you instead. _

_Isn’t this a bit childish?_

_It’s a power play._

_And now you’re talking to yourself. Lovely. _

In reality, he did have reasons why he wanted to see Sharona, besides just being a horny fool. He wanted to know more about ghosts. He wanted to know what it was like to see them, control them. He wanted her to tell him just how she’d figured out that humans being haunted ended badly.

But simply running to her for information wouldn’t do. Negotiating from a weak position got you eaten - his step-father had taught him that better than anybody. 

Anyway, it felt too much like a romantic overture.

_ Right. Because there’s nothing worse in this world than being romantic with someone. Heaven forbid you actually admit to caring for something other than your brother or your ego. _

Except it was, if it were likely to send the recipient running. 

Seto glanced at his briefcase. He could wait until he got home, but suddenly, he was opening it and pulling the file his legal team had prepared. Leaning back so that he could get better light, he opened the cover and started reading. 

***

“If you’re going to destroy yourself, you should at least eat as well.”

Sally grunted - the only indication that she’d registered any of her friends since she’d returned. Sharona sighed, then returned to bandaging her knuckles.

Four days they’d been back. Four nights, her friend had gone out and come back with bruises and cuts and fingers out of joint. She’d have asked what this was about, but she didn’t have to. Other people smoked or drank to excess to deal with stress. Sally fought. Sharona would have suggested taking up embroidery, but that would have been pretty hypocritical.

“I mean, I get the appeal,” she went on. “But if you keep up your strength, you can make it last longer.”

“How long until we know?” Sally asked.

“Know what?”

“That this is over.”

Sharona kept her face carefully blank. It wasn’t as if they were dealing with normal creditors. She doubted they’d see the change in their SSNs. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It’ll take a few days to get the money together, few more to transfer them. I hope we’ll get a courtesy note eventually, but I won’t count on it.”

Sally slumped in her seat. “Figures.”

Her phone beeped loudly, signaling an incoming text message. She finished wrapping Sally’s hand and then opened it to find a text from Seto. _ Something’s come up. Rain check on this weekend? _

She was surprised he even bothered. Tapping away a quick response - sure, hope it gets settled - she set her phone aside and turned to find Sally staring at her. “What?”

“Lover boy already too busy for you?”

Sharona shrugged. “After all that we’ve been through? I’m surprised he still hasn’t run for the hills.”

The weekend passed without further communications - no ‘sup’, or ‘thinking of you’, or ‘u up?’ - nothing. She didn’t think much of it. 

Monday found her at a temping agency, signing up for any gig that would have her until she got her reference. Still no messages.

Tuesday she considered dropping him a funny joke about the application forms she was having to fill out, but no matter what she wrote, it came off wrong. She ended up putting her phone away and focusing on the work. He didn’t text either.

On Wednesday night, as she was getting home from work, she got a call from Mokuba. 

She called a taxi the second he hung up.

***

How long had he been staring at the fire? 

Long enough to get a kink in his neck, that was for sure. He ought to move, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to.

It was just so nice to sit here. It was just so nice to enjoy the quiet.

Seto sighed, staring at the folder at his elbow. No matter how many times he read and re-read it, the contents didn’t get any easier. He considered pouring himself a scotch, but considering the kinds of nightmares he’d been having lately, inebriation sounded like a terrible idea.

The door to the library clicked open. He didn’t move - Mokuba could find what he needed without his help.

“Brooding’s not a good look on you,” a familiar voice said. There was a sound of soft footfalls, and then Sharona knelt down by the fireplace, poking the soft embers to life. It was only until the light was as bright as it had been at the start of the night that she turned and looked at him. “Really, Mr Kaiba,” she went on, “You make a terrible Gothic hero.”

“I suppose I’m prettier than your average Byron,” he said, not moving from his chair. 

“Too pretty even for Jane Austen. I guess you’ll have to settle for being attractive in the modern world,” she said, moving to sit by his feet, as casually as if they’d done this a million times before.

Maybe they had. What did he know?

“Did I call you?”

“Mokuba did.” She crossed her arms over his knee and propped her chin on top of them. “Said you’ve been a massively grumpy boy these last few days and asked if I could come and fuck you back to happiness.”

“My brother did not say that.”

“I read between the lines.” 

Her hair was back in that bun. She was wearing another hideous dress. There were glasses on her face, too - he’d never seen her in anything like this before. “What’s with the getup? Don’t tell me you took up a job as an ugly secretary cosplayer.”

“Got some PA fantasies you’d like to play out? I’d be game for that.” She batted her eyelashes.

He sighed. Deflection after deflection. All this dancing around was exhausting. “I’m not in a mood. You shouldn’t have let Mokuba guilt-trip you into coming here.”

“As someone once said, that’s my choice to make,” she said, but sat back on her heels, breaking contact with him. “I can’t make you tell me what’s wrong. I can’t comfort Mokuba on your behalf. All I can do is offer.”

“Offer what? Your body?”

“Or just my ears, if that’s what you need.” She shrugged. “I can’t imagine why you’d want to, but maybe I’m wrong.”

She was wrong. He did want to tell her. If nothing else, she was the only one who could help. But was he really about to put himself in her power? After just finding a way to even the scales?

She didn’t say anything more. Just knelt there and waited. 

_ In what world would the two of us ever be each other’s equal? _ He’d thought, when he head those words for the first time, that she was referring to his vast wealth. That no matter how many things she invented, no matter how well she re-invested, they would never be on even footing. But now, after everything that happened, he was starting to wonder if she didn’t mean something entirely different.

What if it was her pride that had been talking then? What if she, like him, simply refused to accept defeat and covered everything with bluster and stubborn determination? 

After all, that was what attracted him to her in the first place.

Eventually, he said, “If we’re doing this, you need to sit in a proper chair. Dogs take up more space.”

“Woof.”

***

For a while, they just sat in silence; her on the ottoman, with her chin in her hand, him in his ridiculous chair and ridiculous brooding posture, as if he was still trying to make the Byron thing work. 

Even in her own head, she couldn’t stop trying to minimize the situation.

“You said when a ghost haunts a human, it doesn’t end well,” he began. “What did you mean by that?”

That took her aback for a good minute. Pushing aside her own suspicion, she frowned. “It depends on the situation. Sometimes a ghost can cause an accident to happen. Sometimes it can drive the human into a deadly situation. Sometimes it makes the human snap. Not all ghosts are as powerful as your Kisara. Most of them need someone like me to become truly material.” 

Seto nodded, as if that made perfect sense to him. “And when you say snap, you mean the person becomes suddenly violent?”

“Again, it depends.”

“How can you tell,” he asked, finally turning to meet her eye. “Some people are just good actors. Others hide what they are so deep, it doesn’t come out until years later. How do you know if it’s a ghost or just a person showing their true colors?”

Sharona shook her head. “It’s not as simple as that,” she said. “We all have stress in our lives, but we respond to it in very specific ways. A person with no history of violent behavior suddenly going from zero to a hundred? Usually a sign that something is up. Same if a person with no history or previous signs of mental illness suddenly loses their grasp on reality.” She paused. “Has something like this been happening to you?”

His fists clenched. Carefully, she reached out and laid a hand over the closest one.

“Hey. Listen to me. Whatever this is, we can find a way through.”

“Can we? Really?” He laughed mirthlessly. “I sometimes wonder if the universe isn’t just playing one big joke on me. Here you go - you’re a self-made man. Now watch was you’re shown how everything you know about yourself is a lie.”

Sharona just sat there and waited. 

Eventually he took a folder from the table next to him and laid it across his knees. “Twelve years ago,” he began, “A couple was found dead in their home. The police ruled it a murder-suicide, despite the fact that everyone who knew them swore up and down that they were happy and in love. There was no sign of break-in, or another motive for the deaths. But in the aftermath, the couple’s children were quickly disowned by their relatives and separated from all information about their past.”

Realization dawned on her, slowly. “Your parents—”

“This is the case file,” he went on. “Or at least what my P.I. was able to gather. There’s probably more, but I never had reason to dig until someone informed me I was haunted.”

He finally opened his fist and turned his hand over so that their fingers would lace together. Sharona held her breath. 

“I didn’t realize—” she began.

“You didn’t, and how would you? I didn’t suspect a thing, until last week.” He ran his free hand over the folder, his expression unreadable. “Mokuba doesn’t remember much from back then, but I do. We were safe and protected back then. We didn’t know what it felt like to be afraid in your own home until Gozaburo Kaiba adopted us.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know. I’m sorry anyway.”

Seto squeezed her hand. “The stuff in here,” he began, then stopped himself. “The evidence the police gathered… the outcomes of the inquest… it’s ugly stuff. I don’t want to show it to you without giving you some context. My parents were happy together. I like to think that I’m not romanticizing this, but—” 

Gently, she pulled the folder toward her. “I promise I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” she said. Then she flipped the cover open.

Over the years, Sharona had seen her fair share of ugly deaths. It wasn’t just the ghosts she met after their demise - her own neighbors and foster siblings had given her an education on all the ways people could hurt each other. She’d learned pretty quickly to disassociate her feelings from her thinking brain; to see a body as just a body, not a living, breathing, happy individual.

Still…

The faces of the couple stared at her from every page of the document, and she could see Seto and Mokuba in every feature. The proud set of the jaw, the sharp eyes, the sweetness of the smile. The P.I. had found family pictures from when they were alive, and there was no hint of violence there: no tension in anybody’s body language, no strategic clothing choices to hide bruises, no haunted looks in their eyes. 

But even if she allowed cynicism to cloud her thinking - even if she told herself that these were just snapshots, posed facades that she couldn’t possibly read - there was the fact that these two people had raised children like Seto and Mokuba. Children who had grown into young men with a strong moral drive and unflinching loyalty to one another, who had stood up to adversity and overcome it. The grisly end the parents had come to… it did not reflect their lives. It wasn’t possible.

“I can’t tell you what happened for sure,” she said, when she read the final page and closed the folder. “But I can see why you’re skeptical.”

Seto exhaled, slowly. “I never knew,” he said. “I could have requested the information when I reached majority, but by that time, I was so busy with other things, I couldn’t see the point.”

“Even if you had, you wouldn’t have been able to do much about it,” Sharona said. 

“Could I? All my life people treated me and my brother like we were trash. Maybe if I looked into it sooner, I would have—” he sighed, shook his head. “Never mind. What do we do now?”

She considered her next words carefully. “I don’t know,” she said. “I tried reaching out to the ghosts that are tied to you but they will not respond. I could try something more forceful to draw them out, but the risk is that they will take over your body completely and kill you before I can do anything.” 

“But if we don’t do anything, they will drive me mad; possibly lead me to killing. Won’t they?” he asked.

She felt suddenly cold. “Has something happened?”

Seto reached out and caressed her cheek. “Nightmares have been happening. Ever since the warehouse. Waking visions, too.” He shook his head. “I thought it was bad when I was around Yugi and his friends, but this past week, I’ve been sleeping in my panic room lest I lose control and hurt someone.”

“You would never—”

“No. But you said it yourself, spirits can make you act out of character.” He looked into the fire. “Mokuba means everything to me. I would rather cut my own arm off than hurt him. If there is a chance, even the slightest, that this will work, I would rather you attempt it.”

_ You don’t need to tell me that, _ she thought, biting her tongue. _ I know exactly what you mean. _

Out loud, she said, “You told me you knew one of the spirits - Kisara. You said she was the lover of someone from long ago. Who was it?”

Seto smiled. “Some bigwig in a Pharaoh’s court, five thousand years ago. He had the same name as me. Looked a lot like me, too, although as far as I could tell, that was where the resemblances ended.”

“As far as you could tell?” 

“It’s a long story,” he said. “He was the right-hand man of a Pharaoh called Atem. The two of them defeated a great evil together. When Atem died, he made Seto his successor.”

“And Kisara?”

He gripped her hand tighter. “She sacrificed herself for him. There was more, another man who wanted Seto to take the throne by force by using Kisara’s powers, but she steered him off that path before it happened. I think—” he hesitated “—I don’t believe she would have haunted him… or any of his successors. And I feel… fondness for the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Not fear or vengeance.”

“There is at least one more spirit there,” Sharona said. “And five thousand years is a long time to be stuck in limbo.”

“Why are you asking me of this, though? What difference does it make?”

She took a deep breath. “Because there might be a chance I can summon this ancestor of yours to help,” she said. “If what you gleaned about their relationship is true, then she would respond to him far better than she would toward me or you. And he might be able to recognize this other spirit as well.”

What she didn’t say was that the effort was dangerous. She knew others like her who had attempted summonings from a thousand years ago who’d ended up dying because they underestimated the task at hand. She healed fast, though. And if she enlisted some help, there was a real chance this could work.

And she was willing to take it.

Because she knew exactly what it was like, to lay down your life for someone you loved. She’d been ready to die for her friends, multiple times. She’d been ready to die for Asakura Yoh to defeat Hao. There were times - and spirits - that deserved the risk.

“I need a few days to prepare,” she said. “And… you would want to talk to Mokuba about this. I’ve known people who passed out for days as a result of attempting this - you don’t want him to freak out if it happens to you.”

“And you?” he asked, tapping her chin. She didn’t realize she’d been avoiding his eyes until she met them. “Would you also pass out?”

Pass out. Bleed to death. Seize until she bashed her head against the floor. “Potentially,” she said.

His expression darkened. She forced a smile.

“Look at it on the bright side,” she said. “I don’t have a job I’m rushing off to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another two heavy weeks. Meh. -.-


	24. Queen's Gambit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> -.- me this week

For a night of an exorcism, there was a distinct lack of thunder and ominous clouds. 

Then again, Seto couldn’t complain when he himself detested cliches. 

“Do you really have to do this?” Mokuba asked. The two of them were sitting in their stepfather’s old office - the only room in the building that Seto didn’t care about ruining - and were playing chess to pass the time. His brother looked younger than his years. Terrified, too.

_ You’re doing this for him, _ he reminded himself. _ Him, and everyone that came before. _

“Listen to me carefully,” Seto said. “I’ve had our P.I. on this case for the last two weeks. It wasn’t just our parents. Every generation that he found information on, there was at least one person who lost their mind without warning. I can’t let this happen again.”

Mokuba was silent for a long time.

“You never believed in ghosts before,” he said, softly. “No matter how many times I told you there was something else going on in the world, you told me that the only thing you trusted was what you could see and feel for yourself. What changed?”

Seto frowned, leaning forward in his seat. He was pretending to examine the board, but in reality, he was trying to put his own thoughts in order.

What _ had _ changed? Besides the fact that he had seen Atem pass into the afterlife?

“Ever since I met Yugi Muto, there have been strange things happening in our lives,” he said, slowly. “I objected to them because there always seemed to be another explanation… even when those explanations never fully fit. By the time I was presented with indisputable evidence, it seemed too late to suddenly change tack.”

“But Sharona changed things, didn’t she? You don’t ignore her.”

He paused and reached out to lay his hand over his brother’s shoulder. “I never ignored you, kiddo. You understand this, right?”

“I know.” Mokuba nodded. “I just don’t want you to do anything risky if there’s another way.”

There wasn’t.

Even without Sharona telling him that, his instincts had been on high alert for months now. There were only so many bad investments he could blame on other people - the truth was, he’d been allowing his company to spiral out of control because he’d been too focused on his own anger and misery to see past his own nose. Sharona had been a distraction - a successful distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. If she hadn’t been able to explain what was happening, he would have probably used her and discarded her like he did with everyone lately.

“Look at it on the bright side,” he said, moving his pawn forward. “If I go into a coma, you can stay up for as long as you want.”

“Like the babysitters you hired would ever allow that.” Mokuba sighed. “I like Sharona, you know. She doesn’t take any shit from you.”

Seto smiled. “One of her more infuriating qualities.”

“Isn’t there a risk for her, too?”

He remembered how she’d been when the Blue Eyes had aimed its attack at her. How her body had convulsed in his arms… And that had been with her three friends taking some of the blast.

“Let’s hope she knows what she’s doing. I don’t know anybody else who could achieve this.”

***

_ “This is idiotic.” _

“Yes, I know.”

_ “And super-dangerous.” _

“Yep.”

_ “And definitely out of your own power level.” _

“Indeed, it is.”

_ “So… can you at least pretend to be worried about it, then?” _

Sharona stared at the Kaiba mansion and took a deep breath. “There’s no point in that,” she said in the phone. She was buzzing with the power transfer from her friends, for the second time in as many weeks, except now it was not for healing. Not really. “I want you to focus on looking after yourselves, okay? I’ll call you when it’s done.”

_ “Appreciate the ‘when’,” _ Lilly said. 

“I’ll make it up to you girls,” she said. “I’ve got to go.”

_ “We really have the worst taste in men.” _

The front door opened then, and Mokuba gave her a hug. “Not always,” Sharona said, and then clicked off. “Good evening, Mr Kaiba.”

“My stepdad was Mr Kaiba,” Mokuba said, then lifted his head and looked at her. “You really are doing this?”

“Don’t look so worried. I’m going to look after your brother.” 

He sniffed. “You better. You don’t want to know what I’ll do to you if you don’t.”

“Maybe don’t start with the threats,” Seto said from behind him. “Are you ready?” he asked.

_ No. Not in the least. _

“I was born ready,” she said, patting Mokuba on the back. “Come on, kiddo. The sooner I finish this, the sooner the two of you can laugh about the whole thing.”

Whether she would be laughing with them was another matter entirely.

***

They sat across from each other in the old office - him in loose trousers, her in a dress that looked, if possible, even more raggedy than her usual outfit. The idea was not to freak out the ghosts as they brought them forward, although Seto was pretty sure that ship had sailed five thousand years ago.

Sharona laid out the implements for the night - a bowl, antiseptic wipes, and wrapped needles from what he could only assume was an insulin kit. Her golden pipe was last, laid within grabbing distance. Her guardian spirit appeared once to give Seto a dirty look before it went inside again.

“Somehow,” he said, “this is a lot less dramatic than what I expected.”

“I’m not messing around with knives or scissors on this,” she said. “There’s enough damage that you can do with a medical needle anyway.” Then, after a moment, she fished her cell phone out of her bag as well. “I don’t know whether this matters or not but… here.”

He took the device curiously. There was a single message on screen, from the family planning clinic. All results clear, please call us if you have any further questions. “You got tested?”

“You’re not supposed to come in contact with any of my blood tonight,” she said, refusing to look at him in the eye. “But in case you do… I don’t know. I thought I might as well get this done.”

Seto returned the phone to her, then got up from the floor. He pulled an envelope from the desk and handed it to Sharona carefully. “I was saving it for another time, but since you brought it up—”

She blinked, not even opening it. “When did—”

“Last week.”

“That was… before you learned about your family.” 

He shrugged, as she finally started to read. “I’m not expecting anything,” he said. “But you’re a lot more diligent about this than anybody I’ve ever been with. It cost me nothing, and I figured it’s only polite.”

“No, thank you. This—” she bit her lip “—I never had a chance to have such a conversation before. I appreciate taking the awkwardness out.”

He filed that tidbit away to ponder later. “Plus you’re about to stab me, so you ought to know I’m clean at least.” He sat down across from her. 

“It’s just going to be a sharp scratch…”

“I know. I’m trying to lighten the mood.” Seto met her eyes. “Sex seems to be the easiest way to distract us both.”

“No sex tonight,” she said. “I need your wits about you.”

“That confident, are you?”

She snorted, then her expression turned somber. “You know who I’m looking for then?”

“Just his first name. And when he lived.” Seto paused. “If it makes any difference, his friend was the Pharaoh Atem.” 

“It has to be enough.” She swabbed his hand and unwrapped the needle. Meeting his eyes, Sharona said, “Think of this man. Call him forward in your mind’s eye now. Bring the memory into your blood. Then try to relax as much as possible.”

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as she spoke. Any self-consciousness Seto felt about this vanished as a heavy weight seemed to settle over him. He closed his eyes and tried to remember. Tried.

The disorientation as he was sucked into Atem’s memories. The shock and surprise of the old world. Meeting Kisara… and then his counterpart… and watching him fight for the salvation of his people. 

Somewhere far away, he felt a sharp prick into his hand. 

“Say his name,” Sharona commanded.

“Seto.”

“Seto.” He opened his eyes to see several drops of his blood fall into a bowl before she pressed his wound shut. Then he watched as she scored her own palm and held it over the bowl as well. Her pupils seemed to have dilated completely, making her eyes look black. A strange light started to pulsate from them as their blood mixed and she held the bowl in both hands. 

The temperature in the room dropped further. The shadows seemed to come alive, and Seto sensed his Blue Eyes White Dragon materialize all around him. He turned to see the great beast settling its head on the floor, its gaze fixed on Sharona as if it dared her to hurt him. From this close, he could see the yoke that she was talking about - the thick black bands digging into the dragon’s scales, turning them red and burning.

“Seto,” Sharona said again, her voice deep and faraway. His breath caught as he saw her hands shaking. “Friend of Atem. I call on you for the sake of this man. I call on you to protect those risen from your blood. Come forth. Come forth. Come—”

***

“—forth.”

She felt her soul leave her body before the world turned blurry. That didn’t concern her too much - she knew she would stay in place, as she had done in the moment of detachment - but the distance she had to travel… now that would be interesting.

_ No fear. Fear kills. _

Sharona cast her awareness outward while relaxing her mind as much as possible. She’d done this before… she knew this place. This place where she was everything and nothing at the same time. She was a guest - an acceptable guest, but a guest nonetheless. She had to adhere to its rules.

Then, as quickly as the journey had started, her feet hit the ground. She inhaled sharply as she took in her surroundings.

She stood in an oasis. The sun scorched her skin, but there was a cool breeze coming from the water. The air was filled with sounds, too. Insects, birds, human chatter…

Sharona turned toward the latter noise and saw them immediately - a large group of people sat in a circle, talking and laughing with each other. They were all dressed in loose robes and wore ornate jewelry, but they all seemed to gravitate toward a man with spiky purple-and-yellow hair. A man that looked a lot like Yugi Muto.

And next to him…

She reminded herself to stay calm. She was a guest. Different rules applied to her.

The chatter died as she approached the group. She could feel their curiosity, but also suspicion. It wasn’t unheard of for the afterlife to play tricks on one’s mind. 

When she reached what felt like a respectable distance, Sharona knelt down and touched her forehead to the grass. “Great Pharaoh,” she said, quietly, knowing that he could hear her well enough. “I offer you my humble greetings.”

Mutters from the group. Then, she heard soft footfalls.

“You speak the language of the modern age,” a man’s voice said. “Yet you look like none of my friends.”

She chanced a glance at his feet. “You never met me. I am but a messenger.”

A voice called out from the group. It sounded like a question, though she couldn’t be sure. The Pharaoh responded in kind, then, before she could react, she felt a sudden weight pressing down on her body. Her arms started glowing yellow. Panic rose in her throat, and she instinctively searched for her spiritual energy to protect herself with…

…except there was no energy to reach towards. That was all she was made from.

Just as quickly as the light came, it disappeared, leaving her gasping and clutching at the ground. 

Big hands took her by the shoulders and slowly stood her up. She stared at the eyes of Atem.

“My friend tells me that your soul is young, Messenger,” he said. “How did you find this place?”

“I—” She swallowed. How did she get there? Her memory was starting to get fuzzy. She shook her head, coaxing the words out. “I called. I followed the call of the blood.”

“And you were looking for me?”

“Yes.” Sharona forced herself not to glance behind him. “I come on the request of one you know as Seto Kaiba.”

Atem’s eyes widened. “Kaiba? Has anything happened?”

She shook her head. “Nothing yet. But he… his Blue Eyes is suffering. And we were hoping his predecessor might be able to help.”

Comprehension dawned as Atem studied her. Then, carefully, he took her hand and stood her up. “Do you speak our language, Messenger?” 

She shook her head no.

“Then you must allow me access to your mind.”

Sharona inhaled sharply. To share energies with a spirit this old and this powerful could be disastrous. But then again, she’d come this far. Nodding, she bowed her head as Atem squeezed her hand.

There was a flash of white hot pain. Then, in the next moment, voices swarmed around her like flies.

“…done…”

“Foolish endeavor…”

“…sorceress?”

Sharona forced her eyes open. She and Atem were still standing there, but the group had moved to form a circle around them. She felt like only seconds had passed, and yet the was the Pharaoh was speaking to them, it seemed like a lot longer.

And right by her elbow was a man with Seto’s face, Seto’s eyes… and none of Seto’s tenderness. _ This was his nicer counterpart? _ The suspicion coming off the man was utterly glacial. 

“What is the meaning of this?” he was asking. “Who is it that sent thee, sorceress?”

“A man from your bloodline,” she said, keeping her voice polite but firm. “He bears your name, too.”

A suspicious frown was the only reaction. _ Definitely nothing like each other, _ she thought wryly. 

“Spirits follow him on Earth,” she says. “Two at least, if not more. One of them is a woman you might have known as Kisara.”

The man’s reaction was instantaneous. “Kisara—” he whispered, then grasped Sharona by the shoulders. “Kisara, still on Earth?”

“We thought she might be here, in this world,” Atem said. “Time doesn’t flow in the same way. We expected she would find us.”

“Perhaps something stopped her passage,” Sharona said. “But right now, she is tied to your descendant by a dangerous bond. And other spirits are hounding him, too. He is suffering. I cannot help him alone.”

“Then I shall come with thee and save them,” the man said, before turning to Atem. “Pharaoh, with your permission…”

“Go,” he said. “And when you are ready to return, we shall be ready to bring you back.”

“Careful, son,” an old man whispered, as Sharona took Seto’s ancient counterpart by the hand.

_ Son? _ Too much to unpack. She met the man’s eyes and braced her feet. “This will be a bumpy ride,” she warned. “If you need a body to speak to Kisara in the mortal realm, I am happy to lend you mine.”

“What magic drove you all the way here?” he asked.

But mercifully, there was no time left to ponder or answer difficult questions. Sharona allowed her awareness to expand, as she followed the blood back to the world of the living.

***

His breath was clouding the air and the room had grown darker than before. Sharona stood frozen in place, face turned upward and hands grasping the bowl. She was so still… he couldn’t even tell whether she was breathing.

The dragon growled at his back. Seto stared at it with frustration. “I wish I could speak to you,” he said, softly. “You were there all my life. You protected me. You kept my brother safe. I can’t even begin to comprehend what that was like.”

More growls, softer this time. Seto reached out carefully and laid his hand on the dragon’s head. 

“You said that we would meet again, way back then,” he said. “Do you remember?”

Silence. He smiled. “It was a right mess. You deserved better from me. You deserved better from everyone, Kisara. There was so much that I would change if I could.”

The dragon nudged him gently. 

His hand slipped then and landed on the yoke. The burn made him swear and fall back. 

_ For you. All for you! And you spurned it! _

The dragon reared back and roared. At the same time, Sharona let out a loud gasp and her back arched further up. A scream tore from her throat, then she convulsed gain and curled in on herself. 

“Shar—” he started, but then the dragon threw itself between them, sending him flying back against the wall. 

“Kisara,” she said in a deep, strangely faraway voice, “that’s no way to treat a friend.”

Seto struggled to his feet just in time for the dragon to rear back and dissolve into bright light. For a moment, it seemed to fluctuate between forms. Then it was a woman standing in front of him. A beautiful woman bound with darkness. 

She was gasping and crying, but before Seto could do or say anything, he noticed Sharona’s stance.

Though she was still kneeling, there was something distinctly masculine about the set of her shoulders, the way she braced against the floor. Her expression, too… he’d never seen her look this scary. 

Then she spoke again, and he realized what had thrown him earlier. It wasn’t English at all coming out of her mouth.

“Ah—” she said “—I see what the sorceress meant about the two spirits.”

Kisara’s image fractured then reassembled itself. Seto walked forward, only for Sharona to command him to stay in place.

No. No, it wasn’t Sharona speaking at all.

“If thou value thine life,” his predecessor spoke, “Thou will stay where thou are.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” Seto said, before he could think twice about it.

Kisara turned. 

Her eyes were tinted crimson and her mouth was open in a scream. The darkness that was keeping her captive seemed to grow and expand until it swallowed her whole.

“What’s going on?” Seto asked.

“Death,” his predecessor replied. Sharona’s expression turned mournful. “Her death… and all the deaths that happened since. Oh, Kisara… I am so sorry.”

“Master… Seto…” she whispered “Please… run away.”

He couldn’t tell who she was speaking to. And he didn’t have a chance. Before he could react, she gasped, and then suddenly all the darkness was rushing toward him.

Several things happened at once. 

He felt his own spirit being thrown from his body, like that time in Cairo. 

He saw Sharona’s eyes widen in horror.

He felt Kisara’s misery and sadness.

And he also felt the other spirit. Not a he, or a she, or even an it. Just endless pain and suffering and avarice, all rolled into one.

In a flash, he remembered the girl’s death five thousand years ago. How the possessed adviser, Aknadin, summoned a beast that slay her at the end of their battle. 

_ Ah. Of course. How could I forget? _

The next thing he felt was blind rage. His powers had been stripped away. His birthright denied. His pride trampled. He would get his revenge. He would kill everyone around him…

“I call upon the magic of the ancients—” a faraway voice said.

And then his vision was full of brilliant light.

***

Sharona had long ago learned not to fight ghosts when they entered her body. The trick - as with astral projection - was not to check out completely. So, when Seto’s predecessor tried using his powers to bring a move she’d only seen in Duel Monsters, she did not object.

“Swords of Revealing Light,” she whispered deep inside her own mind. “I never thought I’d see the real deal.”

“Have thou any powers that we may call to?” the spirit of the Pharaoh’s adviser asked.

“Just a few.” Seto had become possessed. Which meant their only options were to hope Kisara overpowered the darkness, or to draw the darkness out themselves. “But you will need to release him in order for me to do that.”

“He wants to kill thee.”

Sharona smirked. She reached for her spirit medium. “He won’t be the first one to try.”

The spirit’s incredulity was palatable, but she responded by standing up and bracing her feet. Seto’s expression - deep in the grasp of the magic trap - was one of pure rage. 

But that wasn’t Seto.

It wasn’t Kisara, either. 

It wasn’t even a full spirit, but a leftover of some lousy demigod’s power; a bit of misery that had somehow clung to life and kept on hurting those around it. 

Well, it would end now.

“Drop the trap,” she said. “I need my hands on him for this.”

With a sigh, the spirit did as she instructed. 

Almost as soon as the swords were gone, Seto was on her. 

Sharona let his momentum carry him forward, before throwing both of them behind. Wrapping herself around him, she rolled until she was straddling his chest and pinning his arms down with her knees. He bucked wildly against her, but it was weak - his internal struggle evident in his own eyes. 

“Seto. Kisara,” she ground out. “Whatever you’re doing, it’s working. Keep on fighting.”

The darkness coalesced around Seto, rearing for a strike. Sharona inhaled sharply, bracing herself, then allowed the spirit to take over again, calling on his powers. _ Now! _

She knew what it would do. If its host was incapacitated - and Seto was far more willing to listen to Kisara than to the darkness - then it would seek out another. A host that presented a more powerful vessel, potentially one that didn’t have as many protections…

But when the darkness tried to engulf her, it didn’t meet Sharona’s mind. It met a pissed off 5000 year-old priest. One that had a pretty good knowledge of the arcane.

“In the name of the Pharaoh,” Seto’s predecessor incanted, “In the name of all that you hurt. I banish thee!”

She didn’t know what spells he used and she didn’t care. The psychic onslaught from the attack tore through her mind, making her crumple on the floor in agony. 

***

_ Fight him. Keep on fighting! _

He didn’t know if it was him or Kisara that kept on screaming the words. Maybe it was both. He moved as though he were stuck in a nightmare, and the only thing that kept him from truly tearing Sharona apart with his bare hands was the knowledge that this was the real thing. Every part of him rebelled at the idea… and every part of him longed for it to end.

Then suddenly the murderous urge left him, and he lay on his floor, gasping for air as Sharona let out a hoarse cry and fell down. 

_ Go to her. Go to her now. _

His treacherous body wouldn’t move. It was as though someone had severed the connection between his brain and his limbs.

Yet, he could see clearer than ever. He could see his ancient predecessor rising from Sharona’s body, holding the darkness in his hands. He watched him tear it apart and banish it. He watched as his murderous expression disappeared, only to be replaced with a look of love as their eyes met.

No. He wasn’t looking at Seto at all.

He turned to find the Blue Eyes White Dragon looming over him as well. The beast had its head bowed and wings folded - a submissive gesture as he’d ever seen. Seto reached out and touched its nose. “It’s alright,” he whispered. “You don’t need to protect me anymore.”

The danger had passed. And they were ready to move on with their lives. 

He hoped, anyway.

The dragon bowed its head further, then, for the last time, it dissolved into white light and turned back into a beautiful woman with white hair and blue eyes. “Seto,” she said, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “You were always a pride to your line.”

“No more compliments. My head is big enough as is,” he said. A strange sadness filled him as he realized that this was truly it. He’d be saying goodbye for the last time. “Go. He’s waiting for you.”

“We’ll always be there,” his counterpart said, kneeling by him as well. “Thou only need to call upon us.”

Seto glanced past him. Sharona still lay where she fell, but she’d turned her face toward them, watching with a tender look in her eyes. He knew without a doubt that his own expression mirrored hers perfectly.

“Thank you,” he said, looking up at the spirits. “Now off you get. Five thousand years is a hell of a time to wait.”

They didn’t need more encouragement. One moment they were standing by his side - the next, they were in each other’s arms. From the corner of his eye, Seto saw Sharona reach out and whisper Atem’s name. A golden light engulfed the spirits, and for a moment, he could see a place, very far away, where a group of people sat in attendance.

Not just Atem and his entourage, either.

Hundreds of people - maybe even thousands - were gathered, looking at the Pharaoh’s adviser as he led Kisara toward them. People of all ages, but who all looked like him and Mokuba in some way or another. For a second, he was tempted to go toward them too. 

_ One day. Not anytime soon, though. _ Seto looked toward Sharona. She was staring at the light, too, but her expression was focused and intent; she was getting ready to close the connection, but not before safe passage was insured.

“How much further do they need to go?” he asked.

“Not far at all.” She sighed, crawled to where the bowl was, and muttered a few words. His vision of the afterlife blurred, and then, a few seconds later, just the two of them remained.


	25. Awkward Segue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standard disclaimer, I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh. I barely own the computer I'm using to write this on.
> 
> How is it nearly Monday again?

The floor was not the most comfortable place on earth, and yet, she couldn’t bring herself to move. It just felt so… solid. So unmovable.

A large hand settled on her back. “Hey. Are you alive there?”

“Yeah—” she whispered, trying to open her eyes. “Just… tired…”

She waited for some snarky response, but instead, he settled against her; his weight, far from being intimidating, made her feel comforted. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I— I don’t know everything that just happened, but… thank you.”

“They were… okay… right?” she asked. “Seto and Kisara.”

“You’re the expert but…” there was a long pause. “I never felt such relief before. I can’t tell if it was my emotions or theirs—”

“I suppose… it was both.” She swallowed, tasting copper. There was something trickling out of her ear and her nose. “I think— I need a tissue.”

He turned her around and pushed the hair out of her face. Her vision remained blurry. Even in her state she could register his alarm as he scrambled off the floor and rushed toward the desk. 

Maybe she wasn’t so fine after all.

***

If the EMTs had any suspicions about their cover story - electric shock, totally unexpected, hit both of them pretty hard - they didn’t say anything. The fact that Seto seemed to be in as bad shape as Sharona probably helped. They treated them both separately before they left them to fend for themselves, and then left to their next call.

“They’ll be back tomorrow to check on you,” Mokuba said, once he saw them off. “They might have questions, too.”

“Let them.” He sighed, leaning against a pile of pillows. “I’m just glad to be alive.”

Mokuba seemed perfectly happy with that, climbing in to hug him. He was practically bouncing off the walls ever since he’d received the call that everything was fine, and Seto didn’t mind it at all. 

If he weren’t so tired, he might have bounced, too.

A little bit.

Maybe.

“So is it over?” Mokuba asked, glancing over to his other side. Sharona had pretty much passed out and now she lay there, hair draped over the end of the bed, her arm propped on several pillows to make sure the IV line was undisturbed. 

“I think so,” Seto said. “Don’t quote me on it, though.”

“Does that mean you don’t want to play your Blue Eyes anymore?”

He paused at that. His deck was in the bedside drawer, reaching for it was a simple matter. 

But he didn’t.

“Let me get some rest, kiddo, and then we can talk,” he replied. In honesty, what he wanted to do was get up and challenge someone to a duel, even if the outcome was likely to be embarrassing for all parties. “I’m going to crush the next competition I can get into, though.”

“Pegasus’ latest one already started—”

“I do get some privileges as a former champion.” 

“Then this will be epic,” Mokuba said, then his voice softened. “You’re keeping her, right?”

“She’s not a dog.”

“I know but… you’re serious about this, aren’t you, Seto?”

He was tempted to tease his brother about Millie, but then he stopped himself. 

When he’d taken the responsibility for Mokuba, he promised that he would keep him safe. But there was a world of difference between keeping someone safe and keeping them ignorant. He wanted his brother to be free and happy in all the ways he hadn’t been. Leaving him in the dark accomplished the opposite. Leaving people in the dark left them vulnerable.

“I never do things that I’m not serious about,” Seto said, keeping his voice low. “And I would never let anything split my attention if I didn’t know I could take it.”

Mokuba snorted - clearly, that wasn’t a concern for him.

“However,” Seto went on, “I need to respect her wishes as well. And I’m not entirely clear on what those are.”

His brother’s eyes widened. “Seto… she put herself in the line for you. Several times. There was no benefit for her at all to do so.”

“She’s on the run from debt collectors.”

“She was. Until she invented something cool for you and you settled that debt.” Mokuba gave him a stern look. “You always tell me to look at things as they are, not as I want them to be. Why do you want her to be the one to care less?”

Why? Because it made him feel terrified and powerless and out of control. 

Anyway, it fit her behavior a lot more. People who loved other people didn’t just… risk their lives for them one minute, and then pretended like it was no big deal the next. To do so would be… it would be…

Hell. Who was he kidding? It was exactly the sort of thing he did all the time. 

“I’m sorry, kid,” he said, ruffling Mokuba’s hair. “It wasn’t easy to grow up with me as a brother, was it?”

“I don’t mind,” Mokuba said. “You’re my best friend, Seto, you always have been. I don’t need you to tell me anything because you’re always there for me.” He glanced at Sharona again. “That’s why… I don’t know… I just figured she’s the same.”

Sharp-tongued, proud, and unwilling to say anything mushy? Yeah. That sounded about right.

“Her friends will always come first,” he said.

“Yeah? Well, you always say I come first. So that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

When had his brother gotten this wise? 

And worse - where did that leave him? Flowery words made him want to gag. So did romantic gestures. He tried imagining what a “date” might look look like for the two of them, but every scenario that came into his head seemed unnatural. Even worse - he didn’t have a clue about the things she might care about the most. Obviously her friends and her career mattered, but he couldn’t do anything to help either without coming across as a controlling jerk.

“I’m not sure where to go from here,” he admitted quietly.

“That never stopped you before.” Mokuba pinched his arm playfully. “Figure it out.”

***

Sunlight danced across her eyelids as awareness slowly came back to her. She grimaced, then tried to bury her face in the pillow… only to feel the pain in her arm. 

“Crap,” she muttered, “What day is it?”

“Still Saturday,” Seto said. She felt the bed dip a bit, then the brightness eased a little bit as he settled next to her. “The EMTs came and went. I also called your friends. Apparently, Sally was going to kick your ass for not informing them yourself that everything was fine, but she’s willing to cut you some slack because you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks.” 

“How generous.” She tried to open her eyes again. This time it worked. “What time on Saturday, exactly?” 

“A little past three. I just finished organizing a check for all of our electrics, or else the insurance company will be mad.” 

“Then I better be getting out of your hair,” she said, trying to sit up. Her head swam immediately and she dropped back down on the bed with a groan.

“Or,” he said, stifling his laughter, “you could just stay here for a while longer and enjoy our excellent hospitality.”

“I have to be at work on Monday,” she said. “First day on the new job. Can’t make a bad impression.”

“Are you actually telling me you left your home without your runaway kit?”

She gave him a filthy look… or at least as filthy as she could muster. Damn, but it felt good to not be dead. 

“Are you actually telling me you don’t have plans?” she fired back.

“You’re the one who warned me I might drop into a coma if this didn’t work. I now have a weekend off, thanks to you,” Seto said, as he leaned back against the headboard. No shirt, no shoes, and looking absolutely delectable.

Damn it.

“You should be enjoying it then,” she said. “Take Mokuba out. Use the time for all that it’s worth.”

“What do you think we did all morning?” he asked. “And fun doesn’t come before homework.”

“You must have better things to do than keep me company.”

For a second, his expression changed, as sardonic bemusement gave way to… something. Sadness, or maybe pain, she wasn’t sure. But then, like clouds passing over the sun, the mood left him and he was his usual smirking self again. “I do, but seeing as you bled all over my floor last night, it seems a bit churlish to leave you there.”

“Want me to pay for the cleaning and the medical bill?” she asked, eyebrow raised. “Some guy gave me an awfully large severance recently, I can afford it.”

His eye twitched. “No,” he said, finally. “I want to know why you didn’t tell me this would happen in the first place.”

“What? That I might bleed a little?” Carefully, she pushed herself up until she was at least sitting in the bed. “I attempted an exorcism last night. It could have ended horribly for the both of us.”

“Somehow, I feel like you omitted a few things,” he said in his scary-calm voice.

“Would that have dissuaded you?” she asked, refusing to be cowed. “If I had listed the outcomes in graphic detail, would that have changed your mind about it?”

No comment. Not that there was one he could make. It was a bad situation that was well on its way to becoming a life-and-death one. He would have gone through with it for his brother alone. Why burden him with every possible scenario?

“And I’m the one who heals unnaturally fast,” she added. “This is the risk we run.”

Seto reached out and pushed her hair away from her face. Then, without saying a word, he pulled her to him, taking her mouth in a hard, demanding kiss. 

She considered pushing him away. 

For all of two seconds. 

But even with how rough and clumsy this was, she liked it. She was safe. She was alive. And being held like this was a nourishment she didn’t realize she needed until it was actually on the table. 

“You’re driving me mad,” he whispered, pressing kisses against her cheek and then nuzzling her neck.

“Welcome to the world of people,” she said, unable to resist sassing him back. Of course, she undermined that immediately by trying to straddle him like a horny teenager.

Seto pulled back, eyes dark. “You need rest,” he said. 

“I’ve been resting,” she said. In fact, the longer she was awake, the better she felt. Contrary to what she believed, punching through the limits of her powers hadn’t destroyed her - it had expanded them. 

He looked unconvinced. “You should rest more.”

“You’re the one who talked about enjoying your hospitality,” she said, batting her eyelashes. His nostrils flared. “Sulking is not a good look on you, Mr Kaiba. I took a risk. I’m alive. So are you. Enjoy it.”

“I’d rather enjoy it when you have worked your way up to complex sentences.”

She smirked. “But you do it well enough for the both of us,” she said, leaning in for another kiss. He turned his head away. 

_ Fine. If that’s how he wants to do it. _

She pulled away then slid out of the bed. A large bed in a large room, far more opulent than any of the ones she’d stayed in before, and yet she wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it at all.

“Where are you going?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

“Shower,” she said. “My hair is a rat’s nest, and I suspect your mood would improve when I don’t stink as much.”

There was that twitch again. She hoped that her instinct about the layout of the house was correct, or else this plan was going to backfire horribly. 

She peeled off her T-shirt as she walked, before draping it over a chair. There was no way to gracefully take her pants off, so instead she unclipped her bra and turned to give him a saucy look as the straps fell down her shoulders. “Of course,” she added, “If you ask nicely, I might allow you to join me in there.”

Nothing. The man was a sphinx. Deciding that throwing her underwear at him was just a step too far, Sharona dropped the garment unceremoniously then walked out the door.

She’d guessed correctly about the layout. 

That was something at least. 

She winced as she got a good look at herself in the mirror. Rat’s nest had been charitable - her hair was stained and tangled in a way that would make a Gorgon blush. Her cheeks were hollow and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her neck, ribs, and arms were covered in bruises - either from the fight or because of how the paramedics had treated her last night, she wasn’t sure. 

_ And _ she stank.

God, no wonder he’d pushed her away. 

Sharona told herself - and the girls - that self-confidence lay in appreciating what you had and working with it. Illusions were just that - pretty pictures, there one minute, gone at the stroke of midnight. She could no more turn herself into a princess than she could alter her body on a molecular level.

Still…

Slowly, she trailed her fingers down her throat, following the scar running from the base of her ear down to her right wrist. Then, she moved her hand across her ribs, testing the ridges and imperfections of her skin. A strange sense of detachment started to fill her.

“Hate to tell you this, but that’s not how you shower.”

His hands wrapped around her middle before she could turn, holding her in place. She dropped her eyes, not wanting to be confronted by the reflection. “Changed your mind about that shower?” she asked, trying to bring herself back into a sexy headspace. 

It didn’t work.

Seto was saying something about making sure she didn’t fall and hit her head. She smiled weakly. Corny lines were good. She could really get behind corny lines. His hands were on her waistband now, fumbling with the buttons. It was fine. She would be fine.

“Hey?” his voice again closer in her ear. “Are you okay?”

“Mhm.”

“Actual words would really help here, Trouble.” He turned her around and she forced herself to look at him in the eyes. 

She didn’t know what he saw there, but he definitely wasn’t liking it.

***

“I’m fine,” she said.

“Fine,” Seto repeated, his grip tightening. If he had half the brain he was supposed to have, she wouldn’t be in this state to begin with. “You’re anything but fine. Come here.”

Sharona looked like she might protest, but then her head dropped on his shoulder, the tension leaving her body once again. “Sorry,” she muttered. “Didn’t think— I thought I’d pulled it together already.”

He rubbed her back, thinking furiously through everything that had happened. Let’s see: astral projection, an actual fight, exorcism, allowing her body to be possessed, then nearly bleeding out on his floor. Yes. Small wonder she hadn’t checked out earlier.

“Well then, I guess that makes my job a little easier,” he said. He made quick work of their clothes, then helped her into the shower. As the water poured around them, she reached for him, only for Seto to grab her wrists. “Behave, you.”

“Why get my hopes up when you don’t follow through?” She pouted. And though her heart was clearly not into it, he felt a pang of guilt. 

What had he done, when he’d been this lost before? He remembered locking himself up for weeks in his seaside home, tinkering with inventions, trying to create something truly new and unique. Maybe they could try that, when they got their energy up again.

“Lean back,” he ordered, and was gratified when she complied. “For the record,” he said as he helped her wash, “If it’s release you’re looking for, I’m always up for the task.”

“I sense a but in there,” she murmured, closing her eyes as she rinsed.

“But—” he pressed himself against her, kissing her neck “—I want you to be present for it. All of you,” he trailed his hands over her back, “and not just your body on autopilot. Do you understand me?”

“Mm…”

“Again, full words would really help.”

“I understand,” she draped her hands over his neck and pressed her lips against his. It was a very soft, very chaste kiss. Yet it made him blush more than the most graphic things they’d gotten up to yet. 

_ Well… who could blame him? _

Later, after he’d dressed her in some of his old things and bundled her back into the bed, he managed to coax her into an argument about what they should watch. They had to call on Mokuba to break the impasse, which is how the three of them ended up watching Duel Monsters on a Saturday night.

Like a bunch of dorks. 

“I refuse to believe this is actually fun for you,” Seto said, more out of obligation than actual malice. “At least when I’m destroying my opponents, it’s fun.”

“Pfft, sure it is,” Sharona said. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you open with exactly the same move, every single time.” She scrunched up her face. “Big scary monster in attack mode. Then, sacrifice it to summon an even bigger, scarier monster. Throw in a trap or a magic card just in case the opponent has a trick up their sleeve, and pummel them to death.” Then she added, in her normal voice, “Lather, rinse, repeat, until you’ve won.”

Mokuba burst out in laughter. Seto couldn’t help but grin, too.

She frowned, disconcerted. “What? It it not accurate?” she asked.

“Oh, it’s very accurate,” Seto said. “In fact, I’m starting to wonder if somebody’s been watching my old games a little too much.”

Sharona froze. Then, slowly, she turned the approximate shade of a beetroot. “No comment,” she said.

Mokuba gave him a knowing look. Seto shook his head, then pulled her back against him. “Glad to see some life back into you, at least,” he said. 

“It was bound to happen eventually,” she muttered.

“I’m glad anyway,” he replied.

They’d talk later, he decided. It was better to have these discussions when you were fully present, after all.

***

‘Later’ became ‘in the morning’, which then turned into ‘after breakfast’, ‘on the drive back to her house’ and then ‘next weekend.’ The end of the week brought an emergency which had him working through Saturday and well into Sunday, and while she came to deliver his promised “punishment”, no actual talking took place. Seto convinced her to go back to the apartment with him, thinking that they would have a chance to discuss things after they ate - only for her to become the starter, main course, and dessert after a perfectly innocent comment about his taste in women.

Then Monday was there again. 

_ Lather, rinse, repeat. Week on week on week. _

He was gratified that at least his mind hadn’t suffered as a result of his ghostly adventure - not only was he as sharp as ever in the boardroom, but when he went against opponents in a duel, he was exactly the sort of ruthless bastard people came to expect. Sharona - when the two of them actually stopped to have conversations - argued this was because spirits didn’t fundamentally change who you were.

“They just dramatically alter your behavior?” he asked.

“They influence. They rarely change.”

That was a good opening to the conversation. He didn’t take it. 

Just like he didn’t bring it up after they were finished venting to each other about their respective frustrations. Just like he didn’t say anything in the dark of the night, as they lay, spent, in each other’s arms. And of course, the more he put it off, the more it loomed inside his mind.

Where would he even start? 

He had no problem showing her with his body. Neither did she. It wasn’t just the sex, either. Within less than a month of their new routine, they were making calls to each other on breaks and in between meetings - if one was having an exceptionally awful time, the other would be waiting for them at the end of the day, ready to make it better in whichever way they could. Once, when Seto was stuck on an engineering problem, they ended up plastering the apartment with flipchart paper and spent the weekend just arguing about the theoretical problems with the new hydrogen cell batteries.

Again. Like a pair of dorks. 

They probably would have gone on like this indefinitely, if the head hadn’t shown up.


	26. Tied with a bow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Yu Gi Oh or Shaman King. 
> 
> Gore warning for this chapter... oh, who am I kidding. Y'all will be calling me a wuss by the time you get to the end.

One of these days, she would get it.

“I FUCKING HATE TRIG!”

But today was not that day.

Sharona tapped the pencil against the table. “Hate it or love it, Millie, math isn’t going anywhere. Now, let’s try this again. If we have a parallel triangle…”

“I. Don’t. Care!” the younger girl screamed. “And if I do another problem, I’m going to burn this book to ash!”

“Give it up,” Ellie said. “She’s been in a mood all afternoon, this isn’t going away.”

“Oh, well why didn’t you say so,” Sharona replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. “If it’s simply that she’s in a _ mood _ then by all means, let her shun responsibility and sulk. After all, it’s not like any of us do anything unless we damn well want to.”

Millie crossed her arms and glared. “Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean you get to take it out on us.”

“Me? Miserable? Hah!” Sharona made a show of cackling. “Don’t plan on a career as a comedian yet, young lady. You don’t nearly have enough material.”

“It’s true! You’re pissed off because the temping gig isn’t working out, and you’re trying to make us suffer for it.”

“Temping is just a temporary step. It’s even in the name, Millicent.”

The younger girl rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t even have to do this if you took your boyfriend up on his offer,” she said, getting up. “You don’t get to have your pride and be annoyed about it, you know.”

“Millie, I swear, if you leave this room—”

The house phone rang. Millie ran toward it, screaming “I’LL GET IT!” before Sharona could even finish her threat.

“We’ll live to regret showing her Christine McConnell, won’t we?” 

“That show has Dita von Teese in it,” Ellie said. “How much more wholesome can it get?”

Sharona rubbed her eyes, trying to ease the tension headache that was building. In truth, she was exhausted, and not just because her current temping gig was more annoying than she expected. Four weeks of insecure, dull work pretty much guaranteed her climbing the walls with boredom. She nearly bit Seto’s head off the last weekend they’d spent working on something together just because he refused to hear out what solution she was trying to explain. 

_ Damn it. Why are teenagers so annoyingly perceptive? _

“Is it really so bad?” Ellie whispered, even though the chances of Millie returning to the kitchen now were zero to none.

“The manager picks his nose while talking to me.”

“Not that… although… ewww, that. I meant, accepting Seto’s offer to get you a job.”

She winced. “It’s bad enough to work in a sausage field when you’re a woman,” she said. “If I didn’t also get the job on my own merit, I wouldn’t last a fortnight.”

Not to mention, her pride would never recover.

“Mokuba called,” Millie yelled from the living room, as if coming anywhere near the other two women might sprig a trap. “He’s asking if he can come over and study with me. I said yes.”

“Good luck to him,” Sharona muttered. “Maybe he’ll manage not to throttle you.”

“He also said Seto will come to see what kind of problem _ finally _ stumped you.”

She couldn’t help it. She groaned out loud.

Ellie patted her knee in sympathy.

***

Of course, it took Seto all of thirty seconds to work out the solution. However, the fact that it took him thirty full minutes to explain it to Millie and Mokuba - in a way that both of them understood - took some of the sting out, though not all.

“How?” she asked, when the two teenagers bent their heads over the table, eager to solve the next set of problems. “How do you do it?” 

Seto gave her a superior smirk, as he leaned back in his chair. “The benefit of clear eyes,” he said. “Also, I was reading ahead in case Mokuba got stuck.” 

Sharona shook her head, trying to distract herself from all the thoughts of retribution dancing through her mind. “Figures. I’ll need to set a weekend aside to solve the book.”

The smirk widened, but instead of reassuring her, the expression made her stomach flip-flop in the worst of ways.

_ It’s so _ fake.

She’d been getting those feelings ever since she woke up from the exorcism. Sure, on the surface nothing had changed - he was exactly the same arrogant, merciless lover as he was the first night they spent together. Hell, if anything, being released from his ghosts seemed to have lit a fire that she was more than happy to accept. 

But…

_ He’s holding back on you, _ her instincts screamed. _ He knows what you expect, so he’s giving you more of it so that you don’t get suspicious. _

It was, after all, the sort of thing she did all the time. Playing to stereotypes, letting people see what they want to see. Hiding in plain sight.

Why, though? And why was that bothering her so much? Did she not decide to just let go and enjoy this while it lasted? Did she not promise herself she would own her choices in life?

Seto tapped her nose gently. “Where’d you go off to?” he asked, half-playful, half-not.

“Pondering the wonders of math,” she said. “And all the good things it brought us. High-speed Wi-Fi. Codebreaking. Cat videos.”

“You cannot blame cat videos on math,” Millie said. “I refuse to accept— I’LL GET IT!” she screeches as the doorbell went off.

“That sounded like a quote,” Seto said, while Mokuba pretended to rub his ear in pain.

“I’ll show you next time I get to control the remote,” Sharona replied, while wincing inwardly. There she was, being too familiar with him. Why couldn’t she resist the draw more? 

From the corridor, she heard Millie thank someone and close the door. Then, she let out a gasp. “Um… girls!”

Mokuba was the first one out of his chair, but stumbled back as Ellie, Sally and Lilly all ran out their rooms, weapons out. 

There was no such need.

Millie walked in sight, safe and sound… and carrying a big red box. “The label came from Domino city,” she said, voice weak. “And Onibi says that the inside isn’t dangerous, but… I don’t want to know what’s inside.” She gave them all a pleading look.

Sharona took the box from her, swallowing. “You wanted to show Mokuba your sketchbook,” she said, voice strained. “Why don’t the two of you go and do that now?”

“But—”

“He’ll be thrilled to see them,” Seto said, glancing at his brother. Luckily, the younger Kaiba didn’t seem at all inclined to object - taking Millie by the hand, he led her into one of the rooms and shut the door. 

The fact that this - two thirteen year-olds, unsupervised, in a private room - didn’t phase her at all was just a testament to the situation.

Lilly summoned her guardian as Sharona set the box on the table and the others gathered around. A moment passed. Then another. Then the dark-haired girl made a disgusted sound. “Onibi was right. It’s not dangerous but… ugh.”

Sharona unpicked the tape holding an envelope to the box. Notes. Notes were a good place to start.

“Dear Sally, many thanks—” she stopped abruptly and then handed the paper to her friend, blushing. “This seems private.”

The redhead frowned, scanning the paper. Then, voice cracking a bit, she read it out loud: 

_ “Dear Sally,_

_Many thanks for your kind wishes on my upcoming nuptials. I received your message with great pleasure, but also, I confess, great distress. There is no debt you or any of the Lilly 5 have towards me; if there ever was one, I assure you, I would never dream of collecting from a friend—” _

“I knew it,” Ellie hissed, “He doesn’t have a clue what his people are doing!”

_ “Needless to say, I’ve been looking for the persons who have been treating you so shamefully. I feel confident in saying that the threat has now been dealt with. I’d like to offer an explanation - and make amends - to you and your friends in person. I hope the enclosed proves the sincerity of my intentions. Yours—” _

A long silence. Then, finally, Lilly said: “Seriously, what guy uses the words _ I received your message with great pleasure _?”

The girls all turned toward Seto, who gave a shrug. “I don’t,” he said, much too quickly.

Sharona took the letter back from Sally. There was a scribbled date, time and place at the bottom. She recognized the address - a renovated hotel downtown. Very posh. Very intimate.

“Do you want to go?” she asked Sally. The idea turned her stomach, but if her friend wanted to have that bit of closure…

Sally didn’t. In fact, she looked the sickest of them all.

Sharona felt a hand on the small of her back. “What are you thinking?” he asked, quietly.

She bit her lip. “We were right about someone trying to use Sally to hurt Ren Tao,” she said. “The real question is if this is truly over.”

“He could be bluffing,” Lilly said, voice cold. “Or laying down a trap.”

“He’s not that cowardly,” Sally muttered, but it was weak. She was staring at the box now. 

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” came the reply. “I’d say we catch him off guard. If we plan this right, we’ll be able to pay him a visit on _ our _ terms, and get the truth from him.”

Sharona shook her head. “He knows where we live. Do you honestly think there’s going to be such a thing as a meeting on our terms?”

“You’re not honestly suggesting we meet him, are you?”

She inhaled, readying her answer, when Seto beat her to it. “Of course not. None of you will be meeting him.” Turning sharply, she met his eyes as he said, “I’ll take the meeting. And I’ll impress on him that this will be the last contact he makes with you.”

“Pretty sure of yourself, are you?” Lilly said, when Sharona couldn’t even bring herself to speak. “You do realize we’re talking about one of the fiercest fighters on the planet.”

Seto’s eyes gleamed. No fakeness there - he actually was excited about the prospect of a confrontation. “I’ll couch the invitation in terms he will understand,” he said.

“I brought down that plane,” Sharona said, finally getting her voice to work properly. “And I’m the one in charge. I should be the one to meet him.”

“I slept with him,” Sally said. “And I’m the one he addressed the letter to. If any one of us should go, it should be me.”

“Millie and I made contact with his friends first,” Ellie said. “Strictly speaking, we got the ball rolling, so I should be the one to go.”

Lilly snorted. “I’m the one that lured them into that third death trap. And I can wield a whip better than any of you. So really, I should go.”

“As fascinating as that display of guilt is,” Seto said. “The question isn’t up for debate.”

“This isn’t your fight!” Sharona said… screamed, really.

All that got her was a firm squeeze on the hip, as he looked at her and said, “It is now.” 

She froze. 

Not how she had in his bathroom, nearly a month ago. Not with anxiety about his apparent fakeness, or her own emotional involvement. No. She froze because he sounded one hundred percent sincere, and damn it if she had any idea how to respond.

Seto’s eyes softened and he smirked slightly. “Stop looking so worried. I got this.”

“Yeah, well…” Lilly said, as she finally lifted the lid to the box. “I sure hope you do.”

Inside was the head of the _ jiangshi _ ringleader. And though he’d been dead long before Sharona had clapped eyes on him, the expression on his face indicated that his final passage had not been a pleasant one at all.


	27. Heart to Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> I haven't even read the manga. Something which becomes very apparent in this chapter.
> 
> At least I remembered to backfill in ch 10. That was an ouch.

He checked the time as his work phone buzzed. Exactly half an hour had passed since the stated time. “Erm… Mister Kaiba… sorry to disturb you, sir…” Jamie said from the security desk. “There is a group of people here insisting they see you.”

The way he put the emphasis on people made Seto smile.

He didn’t soften his voice, though. He had a reputation to maintain. “And you couldn’t call my PA… why exactly?”

“A thousand apologies, sir… they aren’t taking no for an answer.”

Definitely the right party, then. “Boardroom, in fifteen minutes. This better be good.”

As he was hanging up, he fired off a quick message to Sharona. _ Showtime. _

Her response was instantaneous. _ This is a terrible idea. _

Seto’s grin was nothing short of predatory. _ Good. I’d be disappointed if I had to face off against a loser. _

He waited twenty minutes, taking his time with the document he was working on. Then and only then did he cross the partition to the boardroom.

His first impression of Ren Tao was _ taller than expected. _ More so with the hairstyle. Everything about him was sleek and clean-cut, from the suit to the tips of his shoes. An insufferable, rich bastard.

_ Sharona must have hated working here, _ Seto thought with a smirk, imagining the internal monologue his lover must have had at first. To his guest, he just said, “You better not be here to waste my time.”

Several bodyguards stepped forward, teeth bared, only to be stopped with a wave of Ren Tao’s hand. 

In lieu of a response, the heir to one of the most powerful families in China threw a piece of paper on the table. 

Seto didn’t even glance at it.

“You found out where I’m staying,” Ren Tao said. “You could have sent this to me to my lodgings.”

Meaning: he could have informed him of the change of plans and spared him a trip across town. 

Yes, Seto supposed he could have. 

But he hadn’t wanted to. 

He’d done his own homework on Ren Tao, ages ago. In addition to being known as a formidable fighter and canny businessman, he also had a whole host of rumors swirling around his personal life. The news of his engagement, for example, had triggered massive speculations as the yellow press already suspected him of having a secret wife and child. Sally could only confirm that she was not the former, and that she had never had the latter. “But,” she’d said, “I wouldn’t put it past him. He was seriously paranoid about some of his family.”

Now he was here, in Kaiba Corp, because Seto had sent him an ultimatum. Yes, he definitely knew what kind of man he was dealing with.

“If you came here to state the obvious, you can go the way you came. I’ve got a company to run here.”

“You gave them the money,” Ren Tao said. It was not a question. “I wondered, at first, if the mode of delivery was a joke; but you arranged that. Nice touch with the delivery, by the way. It took my people ages to unpack and count everything you sent.”

Seto smirked. “You should know,” he replied, “that even without my intervention, they would have paid you in a similar way.”

The temperature in the room dropped significantly. “And who are you to talk to me in this way?” _ Who are you to them? _ The words hung in the air, unspoken and distasteful.

The smirk widened. Oh, he would enjoy this.

“I’m the one who sent you three and a half million in dirty bills,” he said. “That’s all you need to know.”

The bodyguards growled again. Seto leaned back in his chair and gave them a level look. “Do your goons have anything to say? I remember the one you sent over was rather talkative.”

“I didn’t send him,” Tao said. “I didn’t send any of them.” 

“Just the odd head, right?”

Finally, the proud expression seemed to crack. Not by much - the anger was still there. But a flash of shame did pass through his eyes. Seto didn’t have much time to celebrate, though, before the ghost of a giant man rose from behind the Tao heir. He was dressed like a cavalry man and was holding a _ Kwan Dao _ at least ten times the size of anything Seto had seen before.

He raised an eyebrow. “Losing your cool already? I’ve seen fourth-rate duelists hold it longer.”

Tao growled. 

Then, much to Seto’s surprise, he ordered his guards out the room. 

“But, sir…” started the closest one, only for the ghost to whirl on him, weapon at the ready. Tao didn’t turn.

“I won’t repeat myself,” he said, voice icy. “Out. You may wait for me in the car.”

The bodyguards shuffled out. Seto wondered how many of them would linger in the stairwell, waiting for a signal. 

No matter. He wasn’t in danger.

Not any more than he had been in Cairo, anyway, and certainly not any more than when he’d faced an Ancient Egyptian demon with nothing but three cards in his hand.

“Cards on the table?” Tao asked, arms crossed. 

“Didn’t realize we were holding any.”

The man glowered. “You know who I am. What I am.”

Seto didn’t respond. There was no question.

“In our world, Sally is not a threat to me,” he went on. “Neither are any of her friends. I take no pleasure in torturing those who are weaker than me. Had I known that this was happening, I would have never allowed it to go on for as long as it did.”

“So clearly, this is their fault, for not telling you sooner.”

“Don’t twist my words, Seto Kaiba.” Tao’s eyes flashed. “You haven’t got the slightest idea what our lives are.”

“On the contrary. I’ve had a very close look at what your lives are like.” The smirk turned into an open sneer. “I know, for example, that you consider sending severed heads as an acceptable peace offering.”

Silence settled over the boardroom. Tao seemed to mull over what he’d just said, and then, shockingly, his expression started to relax. “You’re not with Sally.”

Another non-question. Therefore, it did not merit an answer.

Tao didn’t need it. “She wouldn’t be upset about what I sent her. And you would definitely not be upset on her behalf.”

“Things change. When was the last time you saw her? Two years? Three?” Seto raised an eyebrow. “How much did that jiangshi tell you about what he did to them before you killed him off? Because I saw a fair deal. And I was on the receiving end of it at least once.”

A shadow passed over the other man’s eyes. “I know,” he said. “And I can only offer my assurance that it will not happen again.”

Seto waited.

You learned a great deal from how people handled silence. Some coped with it fine. Some babbled like their life depended on it. 

Tao was neither. He just stared at Seto up and down as if he were trying to look deep inside his soul. A pressure started in his head and behind his eyes, building up into what was likely the mother of all migraines. 

“Interesting,” the younger man said. “You read like a regular human, but your mind is locked away.”

“My mind is my biggest asset,” Seto said through gritted teeth. “You would do well not to poke into it.”

“Maybe you should answer my questions then.” Another frown. “Not Sally, definitely. Not Millie or Ellie - you’re not the type. I can’t tell for the life of me what you’d see in either of the rest.”

Now he was just provoking him. “I could say the same thing about you and Sally… but then again, you’re not with her, are you? Maybe if you were the kind of man she’d like, you’d go offer your apologies in person instead of relying on go-betweens.” And damn it if wasn’t working. 

Tao’s eyes widened. “Ah. Sharona, then.” 

Seto glowered. The pressure on his mind eased, though, which was a welcome change.

Mystery cleared, Ren seemed to relax more in his chair. He probably thought the two of them now had more common ground. 

Maybe they would. In another life.

But then, in that life, neither of them would have met Sharona and her friends. They would have followed the paths laid out by their families and met in the sorts of environments that turned Seto’s stomach so much as a child. 

No. Enemies seemed like a good state to be in. 

“One question,” Seto said.

Tao frowned. “What…”

“You may ask me one question,” he said. “And I promise I will answer it fully and without any obfuscation.”

“I did not come all the way across town for you to dictate what I can and cannot do.”

_ Tough shit, _ Seto thought. “In that case, you can show yourself out,” he said, standing up. 

The spirit barred the door. “One question isn’t enough,” Ren went on.

“It’s more than _ Sally _ and her friends have gotten, and they’ve been dealing with this for longer than you have.” Seto sneered. “Plus. If you make it a really good one, you might just get more than you bargained for.”

There was a pause, as the boy seemed to consider what that meant.

“What do you want in return?” he finally said.

“Simple.” Seto smiled, settling back into his chair. “I want to know why.”

***

As it turned out, Ren Tao wasn’t too different from him after all. After finishing university earlier than his peers, he’d started an electronic manufacturing company. One year in and twelve acquisitions later, Leidi Group was a force to be reckoned with in China. 

Seto was mildly impressed.

Mildly.

“All this is information my P.I. might have found,” he said, omitting the part where his P.I. had provided that, and more. 

“What he may not have found is that I have enemies.”

“That’s hardly a surprise, though, is it?”

Ren shrugged. “The Red Crimson clan was a surprise even to me.” He went on to explain how they’d shown up, out of the blue, as the Leidi Group was coming into power. How they’d tried under-handed tactics before escalating into full-on warfare. Then, his expression darkened further. “They took away much, much more than they were hoping for.”

There was a lengthy pause while he seemed to deliberate about what to do next. Then he pulled a photo from his pocket and pushed it across the table. 

Seto unfolded it carefully.

He sucked in a breath.

“Your P.I. didn’t get that, I take it,” Tao said. 

“No,” Seto replied, his voice measured. “Just rumors.”

The photo was of Ren Tao and a white-haired, red-eyed woman. Between them, they held an infant boy, and while his features were a miniature copy of the man sitting across from Seto, his coloring was all his mother’s. 

“Funny thing, rumor,” Ren Tao said, in a distant voice. “It can twist the truth into strange shapes, to the point where it simply does not matter what was right and what was wrong in the first place.”

Seto handed the photo back. For the first time, it occurred to him that Tao was dressed entirely in white. That wasn’t necessarily strange - after all, Seto himself wore white on a daily basis - but it had a very different significance to him than for the other man.

“I’m sorry,” he said, finally.

Tao nodded. “Yeah. Lots of people are.”

“I take it the Red Crimson are responsible.”

“And they have been punished accordingly. Though, of course, that will not bring her back,” he smiled sardonically. “You may think of me as the scum of the earth, and maybe I am. I convinced myself at the time that it was all for the best, to protect the ones I love, but at the end of the day, it’s not our intentions that we are judged on, is it?”

Seto pursed his lips. The comment hit a little too close to home. “I take it that engagement story that circulated…”

“Bait. We were hoping to draw them out. Of course,” Tao went on, “we didn’t fully understand what was going on. Or who they were after. Red Crimson had heard about me having a dalliance with a young woman during the tournament. They’d heard a rumor about me loving a young woman from the tournament and having a child with her. Naturally, they assumed the two women were the same.”

He felt his blood boiling. “So they went after Sharona and her friends. Except they didn’t know which one you’d slept with, did they?”

“They got a sense of what my son looked like. I think they must have extrapolated a bit.”

Seto grit his teeth. “It’s a good thing they are no longer a threat,” he said, coolly. “Because if they were, I’d wipe them out myself.”

Ren Tao gave a grim little smile. “Small satisfaction, I know. But my people and I made them hurt.” He paused. “But we didn’t know about Sally and the others. Not until the money arrived, and by then…”

“By then, it was over. Yeah, I understand.” The conflict must have been recent, too. Seeing as the jiangshi had been hounding the girls as early as a month ago. “I’m sorry for your loss.” 

Tao bowed slightly. “I hope the explanation makes up for the… heavy-handedness of my approach,” he said. “I’m not looking to rekindle any old flames, Mr Kaiba. Not now. Possibly not ever.”

That was not surprising at least.

“But…” he went on “…I don’t want more people caught in the crossfire of my family’s conflict. I cannot allow it.”

That, too, was not a shock. Seto thought about the building they were in. His stepfather had built his fortune on war profiteering. He would have succeeded, too, had Seto not come around. If a behemoth like Kaiba Corp could be turned around by one person, then surely there was hope for suffering to end elsewhere, too.

“Ask your question,” Seto said, meeting Ren’s eyes.

The Tao heir seemed to hesitate. Then, “Are they all okay?”

Okay was a relative term. But…

“They’re out of harm’s way.” Because they were smart, resourceful, and had each other. And - though he was yet to admit why - he was fighting in their corner, too. For what that was worth. “And they want to move on with their lives.”

“Is that why—” Ren stopped himself, but Seto finished for him:

“I volunteered to speak to you. Don’t get me wrong - they would have understood exactly where you’re coming from, if they heard this story - but they spent a year on the run from what they thought were debt collectors you sent. Facing you was a big deal to them.”

“So you took on the risk,” Ren finished. He nodded, once. “It’s good that they have a friend. Nobody fought in their corner four years ago.”

“I could ask them… I can’t promise you this, but I could ask if they wanted to speak to you directly.”

Ren shook his head. “No, I… I think you were right. They don’t need to see me. But— feel free to tell them what I told you today.”

Seto’s surprise must have been visible, because the younger man shrugged. “My wife is gone. I will have to announce that I have a child to the world. The secret will not be a secret for much longer, but I’d rather Sally at least hear it from a trusted person. If that’s alright by you.”

All he could manage in response was a nod.

“You’re brave man,” Tao said, standing up. “Most people wouldn’t face me alone.”

“Who says I’m alone?” From the corner of his eye, he caught movement. Then his Blue Eyes appeared in the air, larger than life and glowering at the interloper. Both Ren and his guardian spirit took a step back. 

Seto kept his expression neutral. Only he could see the shimmer of pink in the dragon’s irises - the only giveaway that it was not a true Duel Monster. 

“I’ve never seen a guardian spirit like this before,” Ren finally muttered.

“You have your secrets, Mr Tao, and I’ll have mine,” Seto said. Then he stood and shook his hand. “Good to do business with you. I’ll show you out.”

It wasn’t until he was alone in his office again that the Blue Eyes dissolved back into Enra Enra. Sharona’s guardian, borrowed for the day, just in case he needed to do some targeted intimidation. He smiled at the pixie with affection as he dialed her mistress.

“You’re okay, right?” was the first thing she said. “Please tell me you’re okay!”

“I need to have a word with your friend in private tonight,” Seto said. “And then I’m taking you out. You and I are overdue for a night out on town."


	28. Low key messed up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> By this point I'm just writing this for fun. Damn momentum's taking too long to let off. Oh well. I've had a shit week. I need to do stuff to please me, too. -.-

“What could he possibly have to say to Sally that he can’t say to the rest of us?” Sharona fumed, as she strained to hear. No peep came from the living room. Seto was either speaking very low, or he’d taken her friend to the kitchen. 

Ellie said something around a mouth full of pins. Her sister translated helpfully: “Must be private. She’ll tell us later.”

That much was true. And it infuriated her to no end. 

Lilly watched her through narrowed eyes. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Of what? He’s not Sally’s type.”

Her friend was not deterred. “That he would talk to her first and not you.”

Sharona flipped her off. She’d been useless all day, jumping at every loud noise, refusing any attempt at comfort and distraction. Seto’s update over the phone had done nothing to alleviate her anxiety. Enra Enra’s report had been pretty useless, too - the pixie had only seen the tail end of the confrontation, coming out only when Seto had called her forth.

_ In truth, he probably would have been able to call Kisara, even from the other side, _ Sharona thought. But it galled her, to have him fighting her battles without so much as a say-in from her.

So her spirit had went. And her heart had been working overtime, trying to relax, until he was due to arrive.

They’d hugged for all of two seconds at the door, but before she could so much as check if he was okay, he’d pushed her toward her friends with a firm: “There isn’t much time. You’ll be furious if you don’t start getting ready now.” As if she cared!

“Will you stop fidgeting?” Ellie mumbled, as she put the last pin in the dress and sat back on her heels. “I swear, if your hem is wonky—”

“I’ll say it’s the design.” Sharona glanced down at herself. This wrap dress was one of her favorite vintage findings, but several months of the stress-and-anger diet left it hanging awkwardly off her body - a fact that she’d discovered minutes ago, and one that Ellie was desperately trying to remedy. “I’m sorry. I just—”

“Want this over with. Yeah, you said. Careful while you’re taking this off - I may be able to mend it by the time you leave, but I won’t be able to take bloodstains out.”

She didn’t need to tell her that much… or at least, she wouldn’t have, until Sharona pricked herself when she heard a noise from the outside for the room. Was that crying or just laugher? Both?

Lilly patted her knee. “There, there. I’m sure you won’t stay mad at him for long.”

“Probably, because we’ll be broken up by the end of the night.”

“You don’t believe that.”

Didn’t she, though? “They always try to dump you in a sushi restaurant,” she said. “Why does it always have to be a sushi restaurant? Do they think there’s less of a danger you’ll make a scene than in a McDonald’s parking lot?”

“To be fair, we’ve made plenty of scenes in McDonald’s parking lots. Some of them were actually inside the car,” Ellie said, not looking up from the sewing machine. It made noise like thunder as she went over the temporary seams. “I wouldn’t trust us anywhere near this place.”

“Kaiba’s allergic to seafood,” Lilly said. “Every magazine profile references that.”

“Every profile references the fact that he hates _ oden _. Big difference.”

Three pairs of eyes rolled toward the heavens. “Okay, fine,” Lilly said. “You don’t want us to make you feel better. Message received. Can you at least acknowledge that we tried?”

“Acknowledges and appreciated. Now leave me to my brooding.”

Truthfully, he _ could _ just want to take her out to enjoy the town. Who knew where that man’s moods might take them? But try as she might, she couldn’t dispel the memories of one too many bad hook ups that ended with a guy suddenly turning all nice on her. She liked unvarnished honesty - at least then, moving on wasn’t so damn difficult.

She walked over to her drawer and pulled out the project she’d been working on this past month. It was still very much unfinished, and it looked unfinished, but at least she’d been happy making it. If indeed this was their last night together, she would rather give it away as it was than have it as a constant reminder of a happier time.

“Right,” Ellie said, as Sharona stashed the item away in her bag. “Let’s see how this fits.”

“You should wear red more often,” Millie said, watching the proceedings from the bed. “It suits you.”

It did, actually. Sharona smiled slightly as she looked at herself in the mirror - even with her damage, the garment seemed to bring out the best in her features. She unpinned her hair and arranged it so that it fell over the most visible scarring, and dabbed a matching lipstick on. 

“No man worth his salt would break up with you,” Lilly announced. “Or woman, either. If Kaiba dares do that, you won’t leave the restaurant single.”

“That’s reassuring,” Sharona muttered, just as the bedroom door opened and Sally walked in.

Her eyes were dry and she didn’t look upset. Her shoulders were straight and her expression seemed relaxed - as if, for the first time in months, a weight had been lifted.

“You okay?” Lilly asked.

“Mmm,” Sally nodded. She looked at Sharona up and down. “Very nice. He’s waiting for you.”

“Will you tell me what he said?” 

“He’ll tell you himself. Although—” the redhead smiled faintly “—I’d take it easy on him tonight, if I were you. Poor boy seems a bit overwrought.”

She knew it. Tao had done something… or said something… either way, Sharona was mad. She was already planning ways to get to the upstart little shit and giving him a piece of her mind, but she had to at least ask: “Sally… are you okay?”

The redhead smiled. It was sad - the sort of resigned twist of the lips that you gave when everything else just seemed inappropriate - but there was some relief in her eyes, too. _ Closure, the word you’re looking for is closure. _

“Yeah,” Sally said in the end. “I… it probably would have gone the same if I confronted Ren myself, but… I’m kinda glad I didn’t have to.”

Well, that was something at least. “Then I’m glad for your sake.” She straightened her shoulders. “I’m…”

“Go. He’s waiting for you.” Sally stepped aside. “And you look fucking awesome.”

***

Seto was leaning on one of the dressers, studying the picture they’d had taken on their first day at Patch village. Probably wondering what had possessed her to wear high heels in the desert. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you ever wear anything that was made after you were born?” he asked, not looking up. Overwrought indeed… she made a mental note to punch Ren Tao the first chance she got.

“I seem to recall a certain asshole making me wear a polyester jumpsuit for three months or so,” she replied, shimmying closer. “We’re no longer on speaking terms.”

He set the frame down and reached out. She stepped into his arms and allowed herself to get lost in a deep, lingering kiss. Just once. Just for a little bit.

“You made the right call,” he said when they broke apart. “Jumpsuits are not your look at all.”

“I know, right.” She rubbed her cheek against his, enjoying the feel of him - healthy and whole - before she finally met his eyes. “But we came to an agreement. My clothes don’t offend him when I’ve taken them off.”

Seto leaned back, using his hands to anchor her in place. He looked at her up and down in such a way, she might as well have been naked already.

“You have an excellent eye,” he said. “I just also want to spoil the living hell out of you.” 

That was a good sign. “Careful,” she replied, leaning into him. “You don’t want to set me loose on a mall with a credit card.”

“I like to live dangerously.” He nipped her lip, then straightened them both up. “Got everything you need?”

“I hope so. You didn’t exactly tell me where we’re going.” Sharona stepped back and gave a little twirl. Her bag was probably a little bulky but she didn’t have that much to play with. “What do you think? Will they turn me away at the door?”

“Not if they know what’s good for them. However, I have something to ask you before we go.” He took her hand and gave her a long, thorough look.

“Seto?”

“Hm?”

“You said the reservation is for eight. Shouldn’t we--”

He smiled sardonically. “The reservation, yes. One of them is indeed for eight o’clock. The other is more of a floating arrangement.” At her questioning look, he elaborated. “I have two options for you. One is low-key, classy, and I think you’ll enjoy. The other is equally classy and possibly a lot more fun, but—”

“But?”

Seto’s expression turned careful. “Not nearly as low-key as option number one. In fact, it’s something of the talk of the town in duelist circles. I suspect you will get a kick from the entertainment, but there’s quite a bit of unwanted photography happening around the entrance.”

It took her a while to translate that for herself. “I take it you mean long-range lenses and people hiding in bushes?” she asked.

He winced visibly. “Personally, I don’t give two shits about it,” he said. “But then, if I go anywhere in company, it’s with Mokuba. I wanted to give you a choice on the matter before I took you in front of a firing squad.”

Sharona’s mind whirled. This didn’t sound like a break-up-in-a-public-place-to-avoid-a-scene scenario. If anything, it was the exact opposite. 

Okay, fine. Appearing in gossip rags together wasn’t exactly a declaration of eternal commitment, but it was a significant step up for him. She remembered what he’d said on their first night together. _ People have no expectations if they don’t know who you are. _

“What the hell,” she said. “If someone upskirts me, at least I’m wearing pretty underwear.”

Seto’s eyes darkened. “They wouldn’t publish them,” he said, pulling her in for another kiss. “I’ll burn the magazine that dares to the ground.” 

***

Bravado only got him this far, though. As they neared their destination, all Seto could think of was what he would do and how he might react to the slightest provocation. He used to be too unapproachable - even if people had a problem with him, they didn’t have the guts to approach him in public. (Joey Wheeler was an exception, but Joey Wheeler had no common sense.) 

Bringing a date was a different ballgame. What if people decided to test how much of a weakness Sharona was to him? Would they make fun of her looks? Her style? His taste? And how would he keep himself from destroying them all on the spot?

Then his driver was turning in the park of the large, gaudy building at the end of town, and it was too late. “Chez Pegasus?” Sharona whispered, as they approached the entrance. “I didn’t even know this place existed.”

“Industrial Illusions is testing the market for mixing dueling with fine dining,” Seto said, frowning as the party in front of them stumbled in a drunken giggle out of their taxi. “Unfortunately, it’s working too well.”

She grinned widely. For a woman who didn’t care much about Duel Monsters, she actually seemed excited. “Does that mean I’ll see you play today?”

“I deserve to show you what I can really do, when ghosts and tech aren’t get getting in the way,” he said, then glanced at her again. “Ready?”

Sharona inhaled slowly, then touched the scar on her neck. “Yep.”

Was she really? No matter - he was there, either way. He grabbed one of his spare suit jackets from the backseat and draped it over her shoulders like a cape. “Eyes on me. It’ll be over faster than you think.”

There were a few clicks as he stepped outside, but as soon as he held out his hand for Sharona, the night was instantly illuminated by a thousand flashes. _ Christ, he wasn’t some monk, _ he thought, sneering at the world in general and the paps in particular. “Seto Kaiba with a woman” shouldn’t be a story - and yet, apparently it was.

At least his woman wasn’t deterred by the attention. She beamed and sashayed and worked the room as if she were on the Dior catwalk. He could see her guardian spirit circling them, but it wasn’t until they were climbing the steps towards the hostess desk that he realized why. “None of the photographs will be usable, will they?”

“I would be very surprised if they were,” she said from the corner of her mouth. “You’re not too disappointed, are you?”

Seto ran his hand over her back possessively, then as they neared the top of the staircase, tugged her around gently. “Maybe just one?”

They threw a smirk over their shoulders, then they were indoors.


	29. The Disappointing Puppet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Yu Gi Oh or Shaman King.
> 
> I probably need to watch the animes a little closer. Like I said in the last chapter, though, I still need to do stuff that please me occasionally.

“Welcome, Mr Kaiba,” the hostess at the front desk said, bowing politely. “Will you like one of the house dueling disks, or have you got one of your own?”

He glanced at Sharona. She did say she wanted to see him in action, but if he weren’t careful, they’d be badgered by pretenders all night. “I’ll request one if the mood strikes. Until then, my companion and I will enjoy you other hospitality.”

The companion in question snorted quietly. 

“Of course, sir,” the hostess nodded. “The current wait time for a table is an hour.”

That made Sharona stand very still. Seto ran his hand over her back again. “I don’t suppose there are any…”

“Afraid not, sir. Mr Pegasus is here tonight, and there are several large parties as well. However, the dance floor has just been opened, and we have a very exciting new entertainer with us tonight, if you are not interested in dueling.”

“Dancing?” Sharona asked quietly, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“If it pleases us,” he replied. To the hostess, “Very well. We will be in the atrium when you are ready.”

“So what is the concept for this place?” Sharona asked, as the two of them made their way through the rooms. There were bars on every corner of the refurbished mansion, and people were milling about everywhere, holding drinks, conversing, or dueling. One of the few places in Domino city where Schroeder Corp had any kind of representation - Chez Pegasus was the result of the one deal Zigfried von Schroeder had managed to strike with Industrial Illusions, and it was largely because Kaiba had zero interest in the restaurant business. 

“Not much more than meets the eye,” he said. Really, in his experience, duelists made terrible company at high society events… and that wasn’t just because he was using himself as reference. “People come in, play games while waiting for a table… and pay exorbitant money for drinks in the meantime.” 

“Diabolical,” she said. They headed for a bar that didn’t seem too crowded, and settled in for a wait. “I take it hour-long waits are the norm then?”

“Two hours when they’re busy. It’s a school night, so I figured we’d be okay,” he said. “You’re not at work tomorrow, are you?”

“My next temping gig starts Monday. I’m yours for the next three days.” Sharona winked.

Good. If all went well tonight, he was planning on them not leaving bed until at least Sunday night. 

But speaking of temping… “I really do think you should try applying for Industrial Illusions. Jokes aside, it’s not a half-bad company to work for.”

“Even when they work with your competitors?”

“Please. For them to be my competitors, they’d have to come up with something good.” He nodded at the drinks menu. “Take your pick. Tonight’s my treat.” Not that he would have expected her to take out her wallet in the first place. But saying it helped, too.

Sharona looked at the blackboard hung over the mirrored bar. Then she frowned. “Don’t look,” she said, quietly. “But I believe there is a friend of ours in the building.”

As casually as he could, he glanced at the reflection of the room. Immediately, he noticed a man looking hastily away from their general direction. “Well, well, well…” Seto said, slowly. “The rat certainly picked an interesting place to hide.”

“Do you suppose he’s looking to start a scene?” Sharona asked, eyes on her former boss. “Or trying to sell corporate secrets?” 

Seto pondered this. Normally, he would have left his legal team to deal with Jason de Vigny. But the audacity of showing up here, tonight… well, he was all too tempted to go and put the fucker in his place. The very fact that he wasn’t running away like his ass was on fire told Seto he considered himself on safe ground - making him wonder what sort of benefactor he’d managed to score in the interim.

“I owe you a proper date,” he said, trying to focus on the woman with him. Surely, she didn’t want to be embroiled in a loud confrontation. He could behave for her sake. He could text Roland and have him send in the troops.

Sharona just touched his arm tenderly. “Go squash a bug,” she said, smirking. “I can handle buying a martini.”

“Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t spoil your fun for the world,” she said. 

Barbaric and diabolical. No wonder he loved her. “Don’t go anywhere. This won’t take long.”

***

For the second time in twenty four hours, he was off fighting her battles. Sharona stood with her back to the crowd, wondering if she would ever be anything less than a coward.

Then again, it was also his pride on the line. Maybe it wasn’t so bad.

“Abandoning one’s companion - what a shameful thing.” 

It took her a second to realize someone had spoken at her. She turned toward the sound, finding a man with glorious pink hair and purple suit, holding a white rose. In any other context, she would have paused to admire someone so… incredibly extra. But his entire demeanor made her feel uneasy.

“Beg your pardon?” she asked, because it seemed like the safest thing to do.

“I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise. Seto Kaiba is known to be a… rather rude, abrupt person. Still to bring a lady here for the first time, and leave her so callously seems a step too far, even for him.” He bowed and offered her the flower. “If you permit, I shall make amends on his part.”

The wheels turned in her head. “It’s not an abandonment if I’m the one who told him to go,” she said, slowly. “I must insist that you not trouble yourself on my behalf. He will be back for me shortly.”

“Ah, will he?” the pink-haired man was undeterred. His smile turned predatory, though. “In that case, I’m sure he won’t mind if we have a quick word, Fraulein Ward.”

She gave a thin smile, as the last pieces of the puzzle started falling into place. She knew this man - knew him from press releases, from championship recordings, from many hours of research as she tried to find work, and then as she tried to figure out what Kaiba Corp was competing against. She knew him, had heard of his tactics… and suddenly, her former supervisor’s behavior made a whole lot more sense.

“Ah,” she said. “I take it you’re the one Jason is here to see, Herr von Schroeder.”

The Untouchable Emperor of Europe bowed again. Really, in any other situation, she might have been a little starstruck. 

“I see my reputation precedes me.”

“You saw who I arrived with,” Sharona said. “And you know my name. Is it strange that I would know yours?”

“Your companion has been more than a little dismissive of me in the past. How would I know whether he has surrounded himself with equally rude individuals? But you show some promise, Fraulein Ward. Your former supervisor says so, too.”

Sharona glanced at the mirrored bar. She could see the edge of Seto’s coat as he and Jason walked out of the room. _ Smart move, _ she thought, turning her attention fully to Zigfried von Schroeder. “Only the truly bad stuff is true.”

“I do not believe that. Jason is a very talented man, but he would not have been able to do what he did without you earning your boss’s favor. That’s no small feat - I cannot believe it’s purely due to your… charms that the head of Kaiba Corp is acting so uncharacteristically.”

_ I’m sure that’s why you’re approaching me here, in public. You’re so convinced I can be so easily bought, you don’t need to hide it. _

Out loud, she said, “I’m just an intern that didn’t even make her six months. My skills are pretty useless to any engineering department.”

“I’m sure that Schroeder Corp will have a place for you…” 

_ For a price, _ she thought.

“…provided, of course, you can prove your skills to us.”

“That’s very kind. But I’m afraid I must decline,” she said, turning toward the bartender to pay for her drink. “In fact, I’m getting back to being a florist.”

Zigfried looked shocked. “Surely you jest.”

“Not at all,” she said. “Ikebana fusion - it’s going to be big. Gotta get in on that market before it saturates.”

“Would you not like to hear my offer, first?” he asked, lamely.

“No thank you. But good luck. I’m sure Jason will make a fine addition to your team.” She beamed.

Zirfried narrowed his eyes. “It would be wise not to mock me. You are playing with notions that you cannot comprehend.”

“Oh, I _ comprehend _ just fine.” She was still smiling, but her voice turned glacial. “With Jason negotiating to join you, you’ve lost a willing connection to Kaiba Corp. You think you’ve found a better replacement for them, and you believe that the easiest way to procure such an upgrade is through flattery and dangled promises.”

“You dare insult me in such a way!”

“It’s not an insult to state the obvious,” she said, coolly. Taking her drink, she executed a mixture between a toast, a curtsy, and a middle finger. “Have a good rest of the night, Herr von Schroeder.”

He sneered at her. “I was wrong. How disappointing,” he said. “It saddens me that Seto Kaiba continues to surround himself with _ rats _.”

Her smile was razor-sharp. “What can I say? He’s slumming it.”

“The novelty will wear off eventually. You would have been wise to take a kind offer when it’s on the table.”

“And if you had any pride, you would have stopped pushing an offer the first time you realized it was not wanted.” She looked at him up and down. “But what do I know? I’m just a charming idiot.”

Zigfried grabbed her elbow as she tried to walk away. She glared. “Let go of me.” People were starting to stare. People… but not Seto. She was on his own.

“I’m afraid I cannot. You see…” he smirked “…my future Head Engineer tells me you stole his prototypes of a very important piece of machinery and presented them as your own work. Even if you are considering… a career change, I’m afraid I cannot let that go unpunished.”

The filthy motherfucker. He hadn’t managed to cajole her, so now he was brandishing threats? Sharona glared at him. “You know as well as I do that the prototypes were my work.”

“You, an intern, come up with something as sophisticated as that? I don’t think so. But you may explain yourself to the police - I’m sure they’d love to hear it.” _ Unless, of course, you are ready to deal with me. _ The implication hung in the air like a bad smell.

She inhaled sharply. She didn’t want to do this, but… “Counter-offer,” she said. “We duel.”

“Duel?”

She raised her voice a bit louder for the benefit of the bystanders. “This is an area where people can duel, right? You and I have a dispute. Let’s settle it over a game of Duel Monsters. I win, you leave me alone. You win…” she shrugged “…and you can do with me as you like.”

Zigfried’s eyes widened in delight. “You have no idea what you are getting yourself into.”

Sharona sighed. “I got no options, do I?” she shrugged. She just hoped that Seto was just being detained by a nasty little engineer, and not by anything worse. 

“Very well.” Zigfried released her. He was already wearing a duel disk. “Let us call a hostess, and— what is that?” He frowned as Sharona pulled a device from her bag and affixed it to her wrist.

“The ladies’ model,” she said, blinking innocently. “For our teeny-tiny wrists, don’t you know?”

“It looks like a mess.”

“Well… design was never Kaiba Corp’s strong suit.” She moved to a newly opened space. “Shall we?”

***

“You have some nerve showing your face here.”

Jason de Vigny winced. For someone who used to loom larger than life for his interns, he certainly shrunk a lot when confronted directly.

“Mr Kaiba, I can explain—”

“You will explain nothing.” He’d agreed to a chat in a private room, for one reason, and one reason alone. He was out on a date. Being thrown out of the establishment before even being given a table was just not done, and Jason did not deserve this kind of positive attention. “My lawyers have sent you a summons already, but in case you missed it, they will contact you again soon. Here’s a last bit of advice - admit all and get far away from here. Believe it or not, there are still people at Kaiba Corp who care about proper documentation.”

“You never supported my vision,” Jason said, voice shaking. “I’m just the first person to leave.”

“We offer good severance,” Seto said. “What we don’t offer is leniency with theft.”

“You are so sure that woman is some kind of genius? And yet, you were convinced that she might be a fraud yourself!” Jason turned red. “You did all these stupid tests, all in an attempt to catch her out. And now you pretend like I was the one at fault!”

Seto stared down at him, wondering whether there was even a point in addressing this stupidity. He’d had his confrontation. He’d put the man on the defensive. Tempting as it was to really tear into him, it seemed like a shameful waste of time. And anyway, in case he was wearing a listening device, any more would easily be misinterpreted against him.

“I don’t have to justify my management decisions to you. And now that we have had this delightful chat, I expect to never see your face again.”

“You will be disappointed!” Jason said. “I—”

But whatever he planned was lost to Seto, as Sharona’s guardian spirit appeared in the room. 

The fact that he could now see Enra Enra at all times - not just when she willed it - was not entirely lost on him, although Seto did an admirable job of hiding his surprise. Watching the pixie gesticulate from the corner of his eye, he translated enough of the message to turn his back on Jason immediately and leave.

“Wait! How dare you? Come back!” The disgraceful man had the gall to grab him by he elbow. Seto didn’t fight - he went with the pull, side stepping his former employee and slipping free by angling his whole body away. Jason stumbled back and fell flat on his ass… conveniently, everything happened in front of a security camera and everyone in the corridor that cared to watch.

“Slowing me down?” Seto sneered. “How pathetic. Tell me, is there a point to this nonsense or are you just that thick?”

Jason glowered, then pulled out his phone. “Believe me or not, I’m doing this for your own good,” he sniffed. 

Seto gave him a contemptuous look. Then he turned on his heel and headed for the atrium…

…just in time to see Sharona and Zigfried von Schroeder, facing off against each other, duel disks at the ready. “What’s going on?” Seto asked the nearest hostess. 

The girl turned ashen at his tone, but stammered: “He… well… Mr von Shroeder was talking to the lady. Then she challenged him to a duel. Said if he won, he could do what he wanted with her, but if she won, he’d leave her alone.” Her eyes glimmered with fear. “I… I don’t think his attention was welcome.”

No, of course it wouldn’t have been. But then they were about to start their match, and all he could do was watch helplessly as Sharona put two pixies and a face-down card on the field as her opening salvo. Two pixies in attack mode, with a combined power of less than 1000 points. 

“You have much to learn about Duel Monsters, Fraulein,” Zigfried laughed. “I activate Continuous Magic, which gives me 1000 life points as soon as it is activated, and a further 500 to each player for every magic card I predict I will use during the turn. However, you will have to be careful with how you predict - because if you get it wrong, you lose 1000 points for each card you mess up. I predict I will use two cards - one, to summon Valkyrie Brunhilde, in attack mode! And then I activate this little thing--”

\--Nibelung’s Ring. She was fucked.

Seto growled and started weaving his way forward. Zigfried’s magic attached itself to one of Sharona’s monsters, freezing it in place and preventing it from being sacrificed. Then Zigfried attacked. 

The spectators held their breaths, then let out a quiet murmur of disappointment as the pixie monster disappeared without further problem for the Valkyrie. The face-down card wasn’t a trap. Zigfried was just picking on a weak duelist, and it was not even fun.

But Sharona’s expression was perfectly calm and collected. If anything, she seemed pleased. Quite late, Seto noticed the look of her dueling disk - it seemed like a version of Kaiba Corp’s models, but it was a lot more rough-hewn than any of his had ever been. 

“Your dancer is in the graveyard, Fraulein. And every monster you draw from now on will be discarded directly from your hand. I’d concede if I were you.”

Sharona raised an eyebrow. “Concede on my first turn? Goodness, how boring would that be?” She drew two cards and discarded one without further comment. “I predict I will use three magic cards on this turn.”

Seto hoped she was right. Otherwise, she was in so much trouble.

“You should not have sent my pixie to the graveyard - she’s a vengeful sort. From my hand, I play the magic card Haunting. For a small price of my own life points, for every turn that your Valkyrie is on the field, the magic card allows me to summon the pixie’s spirit… and take half of your life directly.”

Zigfried gasped as a grotesque vision emerged from behind Sharona. And was it just him, or did the lights in the room dim considerably? 

No. No, the lights were fine. But the graphics on Sharona’s monsters were considerably better than anything Zigfried had on the field. When the ghost attacked him, Seto had to stop himself from gasping at how real it looked - even Zigfried screamed out in fear.

“You little rat…” he gasped, as his life points went from 6000 to 3000 in one go. “You’ll pay for this.”

“You’ll have to wait for me to end my turn,” she replied. “I place one more card face down on the field… and then I activate this little guy from the previous turn.” 

The card lit up, and then eight legs slowly started to crawl out. A few people screamed out. No, this wasn’t how Duel Monsters usually behaved…

…but it was what Seto had envisaged when he’d originally told Jason to develop the new VR technology. 

To have such graphics, you needed significant power. On a duel disk, that had been nary impossible. His eyes were drawn to what hung on Sharona’s wrist. 

Then he recognized the magic card she played. So did Zigfried.

***

“You have a Virus Cannon?” The damned bastard was losing his cool, and Sharona couldn’t be more pleased. Not that she would say so. 

“Indeed. And since I promised I’d use it…” she smirked as the card launched itself at Zigfried’s deck. Even as a hologram, she could see the look of disgust on the man’s face. “I hope you don’t use too many magic cards as part of your strategy, Herr von Shroeder.” 

The look he gave her was one of pure hatred. A chuckle rose from the audience.

“Now, I still have a monster in my hand, which I’ll play facedown, in defense mode,” she said. “And I will end my turn.”

“You idiot!” Zigfried said. “You forgot my magic card takes off life points for every prediction you fail at. Now, I predict I will use no magic cards, take Brunhilde off the field, and play Valkyrie Erste. Attack her facedown monster!”

Except Erste was not a very powerful Valkyrie when there were no mighty monsters in the graveyard. Sharona smirked as the monster’s sword shattered in the air. Even if she wasn’t fond of dueling herself, _ damn _ but did Seto come up with some good gadgets sometimes. 

“Looks like you bet wrong,” she said, as Erste disappeared, and her monster rose in its place. “I suppose I’m lucky you didn’t play Erste first - that would have made this an awkward encounter.” A gasp from the audience. Yes, she supposed Master of Summoning Dragon was a risky choice. “Now… I do believe your Valkyrie attacked a stronger monster, so that comes off your life points… and now, I can activate the third magic card I laid out on the field.”

Zigfried actually tried to dodge one of the Swords of Revealing Light as they came down, seemingly from nowhere. _ Thank you, Priest Seto, _ she thought. _ This one’s for you. _ “I believe this gives me back the life points I lost just now… and now that your turn is also over, I believe it takes one thousand from yours, too.”

Her opponent squawked. “But I didn’t predict any—” And then his mouth dropped open. 

Because of course, his Nibelung’s Ring was still in play. And now that it was Sharona’s turn, and she drew two cards, he had technically played a magic card after all. 

“Your monster can’t do anything to me,” Zigfried said, even as he was shaking in his spot. “Master of Dragon is weak. I still have more life points. And you cannot summon any powerful monsters while my Ring is in play. This is just a stalling technique.”

What an annoying prat. She needed to wrap this up, before she did something foolish. “Yes, it is true you have more life points - in fact, you will have exactly 3000, because I predict I will play one magic card in this turn. But it will be your last.” 

Flute of the Summoning Dragon was a risky card to play. Not just because she didn’t have any powerful dragons to special summon in her hand, but because its special effect was pretty damn dangerous if she misjudged the audience. “Now, this is typically applying for what I hold. However, for the price of 2000 life points--” she winced, as the counter dropped to 50 and the combo activated “—it allows me to extend its call to a powerful dragon in a nearby deck.”

“But I don’t have a…” Zigfried fell silent, as his eyes fixed on a point right over her shoulder.

Her smile grew wider, and something warm filled her chest as a card appeared in her field of vision. 

“Please,” Seto said, his voice rougher than she’d ever heard it. “I insist.” 

“Thank you, sir,” she said, then gently laid the card on her duel disk. “I think you know what happens next, Herr von Shroeder.”

The projectors actually cast a shadow over Seto and her as Kisara… no, the Blue Eyes White Dragon… appeared in the air above her. From where she stood, she could make out every little scale, every sharp pull of a wing, every beautiful detail. Zigfried could too, although he clearly did not appreciate what he was witnessing. 

No, he was too busy staring at her date and spluttering. “You… you rats!”

“And don’t you forget it,” Sharona said, voice cold. Then the dragon released its attack directly on her opponent.

In the end, the duel was done in less than five minutes.


	30. Gift of the Pixie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> The muse is seeing the end of the tunnel and is getting excited. -.- This is her excited face. I'm sure you guys will be glad this is over, too.
> 
> And here I was, hoping this would be a tidy 30.

Gloating would have felt so good, but she had a more important task on hand. After retracting the projectors, she took Seto’s card off the duel disk and offered it back to him. “Thank you for letting me borrow her,” she said.

He took her hand in his and kissed it. “What did he say to you?” he murmured, pulling her closer. “Must have been something to make you actually fight him.”

Translation: _ Do I kill him quickly, or will it be slow and painful? _

Sharona gave him a cheeky grin in response. “Empty threats and grandstanding,” she said. “But he intruded on our time together and he was a coward about it. Turnabout was fair play.”

He ran the pad of his thumb over her lip. Then he glanced over her shoulder. “Your opponent is frozen in place.”

She shrugged. “Yeah? That’ll make keeping his end of the bargain easy.” Putting her hand through his, she said, “Come on. Let’s go do something fun.” 

“Wait!” Zigfried called after them. “You can’t just— I— you have no right to come here and— I demand satisfaction!”

Sharona started to tell him off, but Seto beat her to it. Giving the pink-haired man a cold stare, he said, “You poach my employees, insult my date, and you have the nerve to object? You really have no pride, do you?”

Zigfried’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

Seto went on. “You just got beat in three moves by a woman who doesn’t even play Duel Monsters competitively. If I were you, I’d be looking for a hole to crawl into.”

The people around them chuckled. 

“This duel disk—” Zigfried said, pointing at Sharona’s wrist “—that cannot be real. Where did you… how did you… what is that?”

“A little lady disk for little lady wrists. In prototype, of course—” she winked at Seto “—but it’s all Kaiba Corp’s patent.”

“Impossible. The prototype wasn’t finished—” then Zigfried froze. 

“It wasn’t finished a month ago,” Seto said. “And now it is operational. But if you have any further objections, I suggest you take it to my lawyers. I’m sure they will be in touch soon.” 

***

In his opinion, the very least they could have done was find them a table, but clearly the customer service Chez Pegasus just only went as far as replacing the drinks. Seto kept his lips pressed tightly, as he steered Sharona away from the halls and toward the private gardens.

“Not afraid of any paps here?” she asked, leaning back against the balustrade.

He didn’t answer immediately, drinking the sight of her - eyes bright from her victory, still wearing his jacket, simultaneously the scariest and most beautiful woman in the world. 

“How did you to finish the prototype?” he asked, grasping for the easiest subject.

Sharona laughed and unclipped the duel disk from her hand. “Bought a device and some materials to work with at night,” she said, passing the gadget for him to study. “A certain someone gave me too much severance money, you see. Even after I told them not to.” After a few moments, she added, “You still hold the patent - I just wanted to see if I could finish it.”

“There are still some kinks to work out, that much was evident,” he said. “But that was truly impressive. The third floor is going to hate you for showing them up like that.”

“I wrote down the processes. They won’t be reverse-engineering from scratch come Monday.” Sharona paused, then added with a laugh, “Or, I can just give them to you and you can go off and tinker with it immediately.”

“No. I think I need to work up… some kind of paperwork. I don’t think HR has a Muse form, but maybe— what’s so funny?”

“Muse form. Me.” She cackled louder.

Seto gave her a dark look, then pressed her against the balustrade and kissed her.

No.

_ Kissing _ was too soft a word for what they were doing. He devoured her laughter, and then took the rest of the breath from her. He _ kissed _ her with his whole being, and it felt obscene and scary and right.

So it was a good thing nobody interrupted them. He would have obliterated them on the spot.

“What was that for?” she asked, when they finally broke for air.

“Punishment,” he said. “You’re brilliant and dangerous - I won’t have anybody insulting that.”

"Even me?" 

"Especislly you." 

Sharona shook her head, as he tried to return the duel disk to her. “This is yours,” she said. “I was going to give that to you tonight anyway, but it was nice to go on a test drive with it.”

“Why?” he asked. “You said you hate unfinished work.”

She shrugged, pulling the borrowed jacket closer around her. “I hit a real wall with what I can do. And you’ve been so generous already to me and my friends. I wanted to do something for you, too.”

A lie. And the truth. She really had hit a wall - as she would do, she was neither a programmer nor a graphics designer - and she wanted to do something for him. The latter reason alone made him want to kiss her again, for longer this time. But there was something missing from there, too. Another reason, one that she was holding closer to her chest.

Possibly the same reason she was clutching at his jacket, even though the night was balmy.

He handed her the duel disk. “Put it on me,” he said. She met his eyes, smirking. “And get your mind out of the gutter, Ms Ward. This is a simple request.”

“It might be a bit of an awkward fit,” she said. But the bands adjusted themselves on him as if it were custom-made. 

“A beautiful gift,” he said. “Thank you.”

Her eyes darted away. “You’re welcome.”

“You’re a strange woman, Sharona Ward.” He curled his fingers under her chin, raising it until she had nowhere to hide. His arm wrapped around her waist. “You make every sacrifice without anybody asking it of you, but heaven forbid you receive any kind of praise over it.”

“Hm, yes. I can’t imagine who would go such lengths to hide who they really are,” she replied, scratching her nails against him through his shirt. “It makes no sense, does it?”

Seto chuckled. He cupped her face and watched, mesmerized, as she turned to kiss his palm. “Are you saying the kettle called the pot black?”

Sharona sighed and closed her eyes, as if she was steeling herself for something deeply unpleasant. Then she looked at him and splayed her hand across his heart. “You’re not an easy man to love, Seto Kaiba,” she said. “But I’d rather have you as you are than try and turn you into someone you’re not. And since there’s never a guarantee on those things--” she shrugged, as if she hadn’t just leveled him where he stood “—well, I don’t want to have any outstanding debts towards you.”

His mind raced to translate what she’d just said. He’d registered the words “love” and “as you are”, but the rest of it was a little muddled.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I think I need you to run this last bit by me again.”

She gave a wry smile. “Relax. You don’t have to say anything about it if you don’t want to.”

But he wanted to.

And then, just because this was now his fucking life, a man in black suit came out on the balcony. He recognized him vaguely as one of Maximilian Pegasus’ bodyguards. “Apologies for the interruption, Mr Kaiba,” he said, looking not one bit apologetic. “Mr Pegasus wanted to extend an invitation for you and your companion to join him for a drink.”

Sharona seemed relieved. Probably because the awkwardness was being cut short. “I could do with sitting down,” she said. 

“One second,” he told Timo, then kissed the woman in his arms as thoroughly as he could. He may not have been able to wrap his head around everything she’d just said, but he’d be damned if he allowed this to go one second without some kind of comment from him. “This isn’t over,” he whispered harshly against her lips. When she nodded, he pulled away and nodded at the bodyguard. “Lead the way.”

***

“Kaiba-boy, so glad you could join me!” 

Apparently, tonight was the Night of Flamboyant Men. _ Ellie would have felt right at home, _ Sharona thought as Seto led her, hand on her lower back, toward the red-clad gentleman who had risen to greet them. Maximilian Pegasus - the man, the legend… the absolute evil genius behind this dining experience. She was sure that if she were a weaker woman, she would have been three sheets to the wind by now. 

As befitting the owner of the establishment, he had the best seat - top of the dining level, overlooking both the atrium and the balcony where the actual food was being served. People barely seemed to touch their plates, engrossed with the entertainment, but what she could see and smell made her hopeful.

If she didn’t throw up from nerves first, that is.

“Pegasus,” Seto was saying, shaking his hand with a look of obvious distaste. “Are you trying to starve us, or do you pay bonuses for bad customer service?”

“Now, now, don’t be grouchy. The warning is on the website,” Pegasus said, wagging a finger. Then he turned his attention to Sharona. “And Ms Ward, at last. I’ve been _ dying _ to make your acquaintance.”

She forced a smile when, instead of shaking her hand, he bent over and kissed it theatrically. “Is that so?”

One gray eye peeked behind the curtain of hair, gleaming evilly. “When Seto Kaiba himself praises someone, you sit up and take notice.” He straightened up and looked between her and the duel disk on her companion’s arm. “I’ve been watching you two from my little perch up here since you arrived.”

“And your verdict?”

“Everything he promised, and more,” Pegasus said.

Sharona raised an eyebrow. Next to her, Seto was unrepentant. “I never exaggerate. You ought to know that by now.”

Pegasus grinned wider as he gestured for them to sit down. She moved to pull up a chair, only for Seto to beat both her and the waiter to it. The gesture was so alien, she was stumped. 

Momentarily, but still stumped. 

“Oh, but she is adorable, Kaiba,” their host said, when Sharona finally figured out what she was supposed to do and slid into the offered seat. “And so full of surprises. Please tell me she’ll enter my next competition.”

“She is right there, ask her yourself,” came the reply, as Seto arranged himself in a chair and promptly threw his arm over her shoulders. It was as if he was a whole different person.

_ No… no he wasn’t. He was just, suddenly, behaving with her in public as he had in private. _

“But I want you both to tell me. How else will I know if I’ll ever see dueling like that ever again?” Pegasus turned his attention to her, but unlike Zigfried, his attention wasn’t predatory. If anything, it seemed almost indulgent. “It was you, after all, who said he would destroy every Blue Eyes White Dragon card in the world rather than let anybody else use it, Kaiba-boy.”

“My favorite girls play well together.” Seto’s hand ran over the nape of her neck, the pride in his voice making her melt a little. “What man wouldn’t enjoy that?”

“I would have been equally happy with the Chaos Emperor Dragon,” Sharona said. “Or even the Luster Dragon. His life points were sufficiently down that any strong monster would have sufficed.” 

Seto leaned in to nuzzle her hair. “Where’s the fun in that?” he asked. “And anyway, you know as well as I do that there was one monster above all else that I wanted to see projected tonight.”

“Indeed,” their host said, seemingly amused by all the PDA. _ At least that made one of them. _ “I hope I’ll be seeing this rolled out soon, Kaiba. May I have a look?”

Seto huffed, then held out his hand to her. Was she going to clip his duel disks on forever now? But then she realized what he was doing. He wanted Pegasus to see her handling the device. 

“Interesting,” the owner of Industrial Illusions said, once she carried it around the table and flipped it to show him the inside. Her component was just a tiny piece, nestled within the rest of the wires, but she was proud of it anyway. “How did you get around the problem of electric overload?”

“Changed the alloys,” she replied. “Had to experiment a bit but the final mix is cost-efficient.”

“And it works?”

“It worked tonight. Stress testing will commence soon.”

“Ah. Is that why you were looking to beat my business partner in three moves?” Pegasus asked, eye twinkling. “He does have a tendency to stall, doesn’t he?”

Sharona gave a wry smile. “He gave me the opening salvo. More fool him.”

A chuckle came from Seto. Probably remembering how she’d described his own technique. She’d never hear the end of it…

…but Pegasus wasn’t entirely wrong, either. Zigfried von Schroeder had exactly two modes: one-move kills, courtesy of Ride of the Valkyries, or the death-by-thousand-cuts that was Nibelung’s Ring. To an extent, it had been a lucky draw for her. But even if things hadn’t gone entirely as she expected, Sharona was still pretty confident in her victory - the fucker had wanted to humiliate her and Seto, which blinded him to everything else. 

“I take it Kaiba-boy doesn’t make that mistake?” Pegasus asked.

“I’d never duel him,” Sharona said, giving Seto a fond look over her shoulder. “I might actually win, and then we’d both be in trouble.”

There was a snort from her companion, but no further comment. Sharona returned to the prototype and pointed out a few more features to Pegasus, hoping that she was coming across as more competent and not a sales girl on her first day. By the time he returned the device to her, and she clipped it back on Seto’s arm, her throat was as dry as the desert. 

Sensing her exhaustion, he took the lead on the conversation. “Satisfied, Pegasus? Or do you also believe the garbage Jason de Vigny is spouting.”

“I confess, I had my doubts,” their host said, shrugging and waving the waiters over. Instantly, drinks materialized in front of them… and Sharona was too wound up to actually touch them. “Oh, not that you are incapable, my dear,” he added, noticing her look. “But puberty never did strike Kaiba-boy here in any normal way, and he was well overdue for some puppy love.”

There was nothing puppy-ish about Seto - not now, not ever. She was not bothered about pointing that out, either.

The man in red bowed, palms up. “Mea culpa, my dear. Mea culpa.”

“You know,” Seto growled, “When I asked you to give her a chance, Pegasus, I meant something simple. Like an aptitude test, or an interview.”

“Interviews are for those who apply.” The gleam in his eye returned. “And I have yet to see one from you, Ms Ward.”

She realized several things in that one moment.

One, their host was annoyed with her. Possibly because he’d agreed to bend his rules on Seto’s request, and he interpreted her lack of action as an insult.

Two, Seto had made a request, and it was a far bigger deal than he’d made it out to be… or she had understood. These two did not like each other. They were business partners but there wasn’t much of a relationship to speak of, or goodwill going around freely. 

Three, the request had been made for her benefit. Seto got nothing out of it - if anything, he was just signing up for a lot of merciless teasing at best, and strained business relationships at worst. He’d done it anyway - just like he had gone to see Ren Tao on her behalf; and just like he’d delivered the truth about the whole situation back to spare her friend the pain of an ugly confrontation. She was so hung up on feeling unworthy that she hadn’t realized he’d treated her as one of his own already.

_ Idiot. _ She was worried about confessing when really, the man wore his feelings on his sleeve. They may have been disguised as arrogant superiority, but she knew enough genuine assholes to tell the difference.

Meeting Pegasus’ eyes, she said, calmly, “Your partner was negotiating with a man who abused his position of power at Kaiba Corp.” Negotiating was a nice way to put it. “Same man also stole ideas and then pretended that I was the thief. I wouldn’t want to bring any awkwardness on by applying to your company.”

Their host nodded. “As I said, the fault is all mine there. But tonight has been… very enlightening for me. If you send in your resume, it will be my pleasure to discuss the terms of your hiring at length.” 

_ So that’s what power feels like, _ she wondered, simultaneously pleased and shocked that this might be happening. Keeping her voice cool, though, she nodded her head. “Then you will be receiving that on Monday morning.” 

A hand settled on her knee, squeezing tenderly. She smiled up at Seto. “Do you want to keep waiting for our table?” she asked. Her stomach was growling in protest, but she was done with the social niceties. 

So was he, from the way his hand slid further up her leg, teasing the material of her skirt up. “You sure about that?” he asked. “You probably haven’t eaten all day.”

She hadn’t eaten since the head arrived, but that was neither here nor there. “Sweet of you to ask,” she said. “But I’ve had enough of sharing you for tonight.”

Across the table, their host choked on his drink. “Say no more,” Seto growled, his voice a dark promise. Then, smiling like he’d just cleaned out the Duelist Kingdom Championship Winnings, he turned toward Pegasus. “With your permission, I think we’ll go now.”

“Naturally,” the man coughed, then laughed properly. “And to think I thought you were bad, Kaiba-boy.”

But Sharona didn’t have a chance to ask what that meant. Seto was pulling up her chair and leading her out the door, so quickly that she could have sworn several people jumped out of their way.


	31. One more for the road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the last time, I don't own Shaman King or Yu Gi Oh.
> 
> This chapter also comes with a cavity warning for fluff. 
> 
> I'm listening to Florida Georgia Line, it's anything goes.

They stared at each other in the darkness of the town car - her sprawled in her seat, him sitting up and neat as a pin. Neither spoke. The only clue as to their tension were their hands - his left one had found its way on the back of her neck, her right one was resting on his knee. The air felt heady with promise, and though he wanted nothing but her, Seto forced himself to wait.

Torture? Absolutely. But it was the sweetest kind - knowing that there were no more monsters waiting in the shadows, no more dragons to banish, no more covetous liars he needed to quash. There were just the two of them, and they had all the time in the world.

His driver deposited them at the downtown building, and it was only when they were in the elevator that she leaned into him fully. “Is it weird that I was afraid for a second there?” she asked.

“About what?” 

“That I would make some horrific faux pas out there. Break the social etiquette, embarrass you…” she shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know. I’m just a foster rat.”

He snorted. “I’m the king of foster rats, Trouble. You can’t hold a candle to me.” And before she could ask why he was already taking his keys out, he swept her off her feet, gratified that she immediately relaxed into his arms. Trust did not come easy - that she was willing to let go with him meant more than any gift.

The doors opened on their floor and he mentally went over what he had to do as he carried her down the corridor. _ Ten steps to reach the door. Unlock. Open. Throw the deadbolt and make her forget her own name again. _

“Now what will you do with me?” she teased, nuzzling his neck.

“I have a few ideas.” He kicked the door closed and switched on the lights before depositing her in the middle of the room. Sharona immediately reached for him. He caught her hands and pressed them between his own. “No touching yet. I have a couple of questions for you.”

The weariness crept back in her expression, but she nodded, letting him keep her in place. Oh, she could easily break free if she wanted - she was by far the stronger one. 

That was not the point.

“First things first,” he said. “What do you want to order for dinner?”

Sharona burst out laughing. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I have plans for you and I won’t have you passing out from hunger.” 

Her look became heated. “You pick,” she said, finally. “I had the choice of venue for tonight. It’s only fair.”

“Do you regret going?”

She pondered this. “No,” she said, finally. “But I do feel bad for you I bet just getting in there would have taken a lot of work.”

“Immensely, but I don’t mind,” he said, grinning. “Seeing you wallop von Shroeder alone was worth it.”

They paused for him to make a call to the takeaway place - she really was okay with him picking, so long as seafood was not on the menu. He made a mental note about the preference, then returned to find her trying to pin her hair back. “Don’t like having it down?” he asked.

“I don’t want it in the way for what we’re about to do.” 

“What _ I’m _ about to do to you,” he said, “is going to happen regardless of how you have your hair. But I’ll enjoy messing it up.”

“Will you now?" She turned her face up in invitation. “When do we start?”

“When I decide you answered me to my satisfaction."

“Tall order.”

“Nothing you can’t deal with. Now…” he took off his coat and loosened his tie “…am I correct in assuming you thought we might break up tonight.”

She chuckled. “Ah. Caught that, did you?” At least she was laughing at herself. 

“Eventually.” 

“Are you mad?”

“Depends.” He circled her… and toed off his shoes and socks while he was out of her line of sight. “Do you know why that assumption was wrong?”

“Temporary madness,” she agreed. “It’s gone now.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” He stopped at her back, and slowly, ever so slowly, slid the jacket off her shoulders. “Can you remember what else you said to me on that balcony?”

Sharona chewed on her lip. “I said… I’d rather have you as you are?”

“What else?”

She closed her eyes, even though there was nothing for her to guard against. They would be having this conversation regardless of whether she saw him or not.

“You’re not an easy man to love,” she managed, finally.

“Good,” he murmured, finally moving to stand in front of her. “Now try that without the verbal frills.”

Her brow furrowed as she worked out what he wanted her to say. The look she gave him - when she finally opened these green eyes of hers - was one of pure frustration. “Sadist,” she said.

“The one and only.” He was being flippant, but something inside of him was coiled at attention, ready to hear her response. It seemed such a small thing, after all the ways in which she’d already shown her feelings, but… 

It didn’t matter. He was a greedy bastard. He wanted to hear it. Needed to hear it.

“I…” her voice caught, and she coughed to hide her nervousness. 

“I can wait all night, Trouble.”

“Do _ I _ need to remind you of my name, sir?”

Seto smirked. “I know your name, just as I know when you’re stalling.” _ Please, _ he willed her. _ Please. _

Some of that desperation must have shone through, because her expression softened. Ignoring his order, she put her hands on his wrists and slid them under his sleeves. The warmth of her fingers felt like firebrands. “I love you, Seto Kaiba,” she said, clearly and slowly, looking straight up at him.

The relief - and pride, and love, and joy, but mostly relief - nearly knocked him over. 

“Well now,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

***

She was - against all odds - quite possibly going to commit a crime tonight.

Not because her companion made her _ say it _ (Heaven and Hell, she sounded like a petulant child!) but because even after giving him exactly what he wanted, the smarmy bastard wouldn’t let her near him. 

“I told you not to touch me, did I not? That means a punishment is in order,” he’d said by way of explanation.

Of course, that didn’t mean _ he _ couldn’t touch _ her _, even if it was just to strip off her dress. She expected the rest to follow suit, but then their food had arrived, and so now she stood in the room, just out of sight from the door, in her underwear and stockings, while Seto carried on the longest damn conversation about cooking techniques with the delivery person.

Death was too good for him.

She could, of course, put his jacket back on and saunter there. After all, she too had strong opinions about how one should saute a carrot, and she thought he got a kick out of seeing her in his clothes. But a part of her wanted to let go. And hell - tonight felt special.

“Still standing,” he said, when the French cuisine enthusiast had finally left. He set the bags in the fridge and stalked over to where she stood. “Color me impressed.”

“Maybe I started without you,” she said. “You didn’t say anything about me not touching myself.”

His nostrils flared, but the grin he gave her was 100% pleased. “Smart of you if you did,” he said. “I need you ready for tonight.”

Her eyes lowered. “I'd love to move to that part of the night. Please?” she asked. It felt weird, not to have contact when they were alone.

“I’m not done talking to yiu,” he said, matter of factly, even as he was unclipping her bra. 

“Seriously? You want to play twenty questions now, of all nights?” she asked. She was so confused she didn’t even think twice about obeying his orders - letting him roll her stockings down, one after the other, and then raising each of her feet for him to finish taking them off. At least he let her hold onto his shoulders for _ that _.

“Just for a bit,” he promised. Then he splayed his hand over her calves, feeling the starburst scars that dotted them. “What are those from?”

Answer his questions fully and honestly. She should have checked first what he meant. “Safe word,” she said. 

“Did you really say ‘safe word’ to me?”

“Safe word. I’m not talking about scars.” No. No way. No how.

Seto sat back on his heels. She couldn’t look at him. Wouldn’t. 

“It’s enough for you to ask me to stop, and I will stop,” he said. “But I’m asking because I want to know you - all of you.”

Her eyes started to sting. She blinked the sensation away. “I’m not looking for pity,” she said.

“I’m not offering any.”

She inhaled, slowly. _ You said you wanted to let go, _ she thought, meeting his eyes. _ Wish granted. _ “Second degree burns,” she said. “From electric sparks on a car shop floor. I learned my lesson about protective clothing after that.”

Seto nodded, as if he’d suspected as much. His hand slid up and over her knee, touching another raised scar. “And this?”

“Broken leg, from slipping and falling in the kitchen.” She shuddered from disgust. Her one and only attempt to clean at her mother’s house and she’d ended up on the floor for an hour before the woman finally agreed to call for help. Apparently, on the scale of her priorities, making the linoleum less sticky was a far worse crime than leaving your child howling from pain. “Stopped me from becoming a chef, as you can see.”

He pressed his lips to the scar tissue, ignoring her attempt at humor.

On he went, finding every imperfection on her skin. The slash on her hip, the stab marks near her kidneys, the spot on her stomach where a bad match had resulted in one of her Fallopian tubes being destroyed. She kept it brief and factual, but her heart felt as raw and as vulnerable as the first time she’d received an injury. 

Seto didn’t seem to care. He touched and listened, listened and touched. Learning her body the way he’d wanted to. Learning her. 

He saved the scar on her right arm for last. Of course he did. Running his palm from her wrist all the way up to her ear, he looked at her as if he could feel the hurt of it being inflicted. 

He couldn’t. But it was nice that he sympathized.

“It was a fight,” she said. “Several powerful ghosts broke through our defenses and threw my friends and me through a door.”

“That must have been some door,” he said.

“It was the front gate to a Gothic church.” She tried to shrug it off, but she didn’t have any bravado left to pull it off. “Can’t tell you how thick it was, but it was at least seven-by-ten at its tallest point. We…”

“Yes?” he pulled her closer, mistaking her shiver for a reaction to the cold. “What happened?”

“We weren’t going to fight. I was trying to cooperate, keep my girls safe. But Millie pulled a weapon, and Ellie followed suit. I couldn’t… I had to…” She remembered throwing her elbow out, knocking Mina’s gun aside. Remembered thinking - as she was running frantically towards her girls - that it was difficult to hit a moving target. Remembered the humiliating realization that it wasn’t _ bullets _ that the X-Laws would be shooting at them. 

Seto rubbed soothing circles on her lower back. She inhaled, sharply, trying to stay in the present. “We weren’t even fighting for our survival. Millie was in love with one of Tao’s friends at the time. She knew our opponents would shoot first and ask questions later. We hadn’t the Devil’s hope at winning, we were just… just…”

“Buying time,” he said. “And paying for it with your blood.”

It was a demoralizing thing to think. In the end, it was the hopelessness that stuck with her, the humiliation of that night making her grit her teeth whenever she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. They’d never been contenders, the Lilly 5. But they’d kept it up because they felt like they had nowhere else to go. The scar reminded her of a time of complete despondency in her life, and yet with all her powers, she could not get rid of it.

“That was the last one,” she said, as he kissed the side of her neck.

“It was.”

“And I answered you fully and honestly.”

“You did.”

She tried to calm her frazzled nerves and focus on the now. Gods and Devils, but it hurt. “So what is your verdict?” 

“My verdict,” Seto said, pulling the pins from her hair and letting it tumble down her back, “is that I need you - each and every part of you. Not because of your body—” he paused, running his hands up and down her sides “—but because of what is here.” He tapped her heart, then her head. “And here.” 

“That’s sweet of you to say, but—”

“I’m not finished,” he said, interrupting her with a glare. His hold on her tightened, yet, bizarrely, she became less frightened than when he was being infinitely gentle. “And I don’t sugar-coat the truth, Sharona Ward. Every scar you received was because of who you are, and who you are is why I love you.”

She stared at him, dumbly. Who she was? _ She _ didn’t even know the answer to that. “And what’s that?” she asked.

He kissed her cheek, her neck, her temple, her mouth. And in between each, he murmured, “Passionate. Driven. Loving. Cunning. And you would die for your friends.” He ran his hands through her hair, as if enchanted by it. “And mine.”

“Yours.” She smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

“Good. You should get used to it.” 

“That was a lot of words you just said,” she sighed. “It might take me a while to process.”

Without further warning, Seto lifted her up and sat her on the desk. She froze when he kissed her neck again, only to yelp when he pushed her down and put one of her legs over his shoulder. Sprawled across the hardwood, all she could think of was how beautiful he looked. 

“I know how to speed that up,” Seto said, pressing his lips against her inner thigh while ripping her underwear clear off her body. The next thing she knew, his fingers and tongue were on her, in her, making her arch her back and scream her pleasure into the night.

Well damn. If this was what being owned felt like, she was more than happy to hand over the reins.

***

“Remember the first time I had you like this?”

They hadn’t moved from the desk - her perfectly naked, him still mostly clothed. Seto was going to remedy that situation soon, but he didn’t want to lose contact just yet. 

“I do,” she said. Her voice was scratchy, but sated. A compliment in itself, really. “I was pretty mad at how unfair the whole situation was.”

He kissed her stomach and ran his hands over her thighs. “Are you still? Mad about the situation, I mean?”

She pushed herself up to look at him. Her expression was tender. “How could I be? You turned it around.”

They’d both turned it around. Somehow, they’d been fighting for the same thing from day one. 

He meant to just help her up and carry her to the bed, but instead, the two of them just stood there, holding each other.

“It ended up being for the best, didn’t it?” Sharona asked.

“Maybe,” he agreed. From the corner of his eye, he noticed her start to undo the buttons of his shirt. He smiled. “I like to think we’d have ended up here eventually, though.” 

She paused in her ministrations and looked up at him. “What, really?”

“You’re not exactly someone that blends into the woodwork, you know.” He shrugged, following her as she pushed him onto the bed and straddled him. “And you were pretty determined to prove yourself, one way or another.”

“Oh, I see. You just had to notice me, did you?” 

“I think the right question is, in what universe would I not notice you.”

She pursed her mouth. “Out of curiosity,” she asked, “What would you have done, if I hadn’t come up with a solution to your big problem? Like, what, you’d have fallen in love with me because I can run a mean simulation?”

“Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”

She rolled her hips against his. And though he’d just finished, he was instantly hard again. “I’m curious. Big difference,” she said. “I highly doubt it’s just because _ this one _ seems to like me.”

He rose, swinging her into his arms until her legs were wrapped around him completely. “No, it’s not just because this one likes you,” he said, taking a moment to sheath himself before entering her. Her eyes fluttered closed and her lips parted, but her concentration wasn’t gone yet. 

“So why? Come on - why not tell me?”

Because it was embarrassing, and he liked feeling like a hero for once. Then she squeezed her inner muscles around him and suddenly, all he wanted to do was talk, talk, _ yespleasemore _ talk. 

“Well, for starters, I would have resisted you a lot harder. Possibly maybe even said a few harsh things to drive you away.”

“Of course you would.” She stilled. “What else?”

His hands gripped her hips. “Don’t punish me for something I might have done in another life. You’d have figured me out pretty quick, anyway. You always seem to.” She started moving again. He sighed. “Maybe you would have decided to punish me, I don’t know. We’re a pair of suffering fools, so we might have found a way to draw it out. But I would have snapped eventually.”

“Is that so?” she asked, rising off him almost completely before impaling herself in one smooth stroke. Her voice turned breathless. “I think I’d like to have seen you snap.”

His touch turned rough. “It wouldn’t have been pretty,” he said. “I might have taken you right in my office. Right on top of those blueprints you defaced. Foreplay might not have been as nice as it was.”

“Sounds like fun. Wanna arrange that at some point?”

Seto laughed so hard he nearly hurt himself. “Does nothing ever bother you, woman?”

She paused, briefly. “Plenty bothers me,” she said. “You wanting me isn’t one of those things.”

Good. 

It wasn’t going away anytime soon. 

Then she picked up her pace and all he could do is babble nonsense in her ear. He didn’t even realize what he’d been saying until they had come apart and she pushed his sweaty hair away from his face. “Yeah,” she said. “I’d say you are mine, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you if you stuck with me for the end. I waited twelve years to write this and it was every bit as satisfying to get it out of my head as I hoped. 
> 
> If you bothered to read, thank you. 
> 
> If you'd like me to write more about the other girls... well... I probably will anyway but leave me some love anyway. 
> 
> *lifts Diet Coke* Here's to random animes playing back to back.


	32. Author's Note

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a chapter, but please bear with me.

Hi. 

I don't live in the USA. I don't have much of a platform. I'm not able to attend any marches.

But I want to use whatever platform I have to spread information and help. I have listed a few links and organisations here and at some of my other fics. If my work gives you pleasure, please donate. Sign petitions. Call your elected representatives, if you are in the USA. Keep yourselves informed and alert if you aren't.

Please. Thank you.

Organizations, Petitions & Go Fund Me:  
(these links come from Bailey Sarians latest video, she had great links so I'll use the same, go check out her video right here: https://youtu.be/iig8BEP-sOw )  
Color Of Change - https://colorofchange.org/  
Movement For Black Lives - https://m4bl.org/  
NAACP - https://www.naacpldf.org/  
Undocublack -https://undocublack.org/  
Petition for George Floyd - https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd?utm_source=brand_us&utm_medium=media  
Minnesota Freedom Fun - https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/  
Reclaim The Block - https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4prEeKESHBy0MKXTIcQ2  
Go Fund Me For George Floyd Family - https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd


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